


Moonlight

by Blueberrychills94



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: AU, All Shadowhunters are human, Child Abuse, Downworlders, Ex-Wife!Camille, F/M, Good!Sebastian, Human!Alec, Kidnapping, M/M, Malec, PTSD, Private Investigation, Slow Burn, Supernatural - Freeform, Vampire AU, Vampire Hybrid AU, Vampire!Hybrid!Magnus, Vampires, Warlocks, many triggers in this one, unwillful turning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-06-23
Packaged: 2018-09-19 17:46:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 56,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9452882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueberrychills94/pseuds/Blueberrychills94
Summary: Magnus is a vampire hybrid. Alec is a human. Their worlds couldn't be any more different.For sixteen years, their paths didn't cross once, but when a case they're both working on brings them together, suddenly they keep bumping into each other. Magnus has known Alec his whole life, but Alec only sees Magnus now.What Alec doesn't know is that he and Magnus have been intertwined ever since he was a child . . .





	1. Something with Vampire in It

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: So this idea has been knocking around on my other fanfiction profiles for a while and I kept meaning to upload it here but I never got a chance until now!
> 
> It's based off an old t.v show from 2008 called "Moonlight" that I think is super underrated. It wasn't even picked up for a second season which annoyed me to no end. So who knows, after reading this story you might decide to check it out. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own the Mortal Instruments or Moonlight.

Chapter One

Magnus wanted to abolish some myths immediately.

Garlic was nice on pizza (or it was, if he could remember correctly from his warlock life) and had no such effect on him that would prompt thoughts of 'burning' 'agony' or 'untimely death'. Water made him wet. There's no difference between water from a tap and water scavenged from the fountains in a church. Either way, he'd get wet. And he hated getting wet. Especially if his outfit for the day was particularly dashing. 

If you wanted rid of him then you'd need to have the strength of ten armies to decapitate him or have a flame thrower handy. Both usually very unlikely circumstances. The only thing that you could use from regular household things would be a stake but even that myth was wrong. It only paralysed, not killed. The fact the old literature was rubbing off on Magnus' existence made his patience run very thin, but only if he got asked a stupid question like, "Do you burst into flames in the sun?" Which, by the way, he didn't.

Magnus' vampire origin story was an extremely boring one that he didn't really want to get into depth with. Not at the moment anyway. The past was so boring. Looking to the future was much more exciting. And Magnus could never pass up on exciting.

When Magnus was called up by his old friend, Ragnor Fell, on a particularly cool Tuesday afternoon, he didn't think much of it. Ragnor was a worry wally and would call as often as possible without trying to seem like a worry wally. Of course, trying not to seem like a worry wally just made him look even more like a worry wally. Really, Ragnor should just change his name to 'Wally' and be done with it.

"What is it, sweet peapod?" Magnus grinned as he picked up the phone.

"What have I told you about calling me that?" Ragnor hissed back.

"Always nice to hear your voice, darling," Magnus replied sarcastically. He watched his cat Chairman Meow (the descendant of the Great Catsby who had suffered a gruesome demise at the hands of a yellow taxi cab) as he pondered in from the bedroom, stretching himself out before joining Magnus on the sofa. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" He placed a hand on top of the Chairman and rubbed between the cat's ears affectionately.

"Do you ever watch the news?" Ragnor asked helplessly.

"Why, what's on the news?" Magnus didn't believe in involving himself too greatly in human affairs. He only did so if he was asked to, or in other words paid to, by clients seeking out his incredible investigatory abilities.

"Some human has been murdered downtown. Left in a fountain to die with two puncture wounds in her neck. The humans are all over it! News is going to break out! Vampires in LA! Oh my . . . I can see the headlines now!" Ragnor sounded like he was going to swoon.

As amusing as it was to hear Ragnor so panicked, the green skinned vampire had a point. The Vampire colony in LA was very protective of its secrets. If humans started coming up with fantastical headlines about Vampires killing humans then it would make them more alert and definitely more perceptive.

"Is this body still at the scene?" asked Magnus. He made no move to get up, not just yet. He wasn't going to extract himself from his comfy position on the sofa before he even knew whether there was a point to it or not. He was still even contemplating if there even was a point at all. If some silly reporter cried vampire then there would be a couple of weeks where they'd have to be more careful and maybe a few returning Goth fashion trends before things returned to normal again.

"I presume so," Ragnor muttered, worry etching every syllable.

For Ragnor's sake, Magnus sighed and hauled himself off the sofa. Chairman Meow slipped with an unhappy yelp into the dent the vampire hybrid's butt had made in the cushions. However, the body heat lingered and the animal soon settled again. "Cheater," Magnus sneered at the cat, disposing his own anger by rubbing the Chairman's back before going to his room to get into something more public appropriate.

Night was falling so there was no need for sunglasses. Magnus was thankful for this as he didn't have a pair of glasses that matched his purple 'I woke up like this' sequined shirt. Blending in certainly wasn't one of his many talents. Fashion? Yes. Blending into the background? No. Even as a vampire hybrid he sucked at being discreet. Not that that really mattered. All the humans saw was a fabulously coloured individual, not a potential threat.

Before he had been bitten by his old flame Camille, Magnus had been a warlock. A very powerful warlock at that. He was once known as the High Warlock of Brooklyn before that blonde witch dug her fangs into him. Hence why he was a hybrid. There wasn't much difference between hybrids and ordinary vampires except for the fact that ordinary vampires saw Magnus' sort as unclean and not having come from a pure bloodline meant they should be shunned. Ragnor was a hybrid too and Magnus' other good friend and trustworthy blood provider Catarina. You didn't lose your powers when you became a hybrid, all you really did was gain vampire aspects too.

True to Ragnor's word, the body was still at the scene of the crime downtown. The fountain was taped off by police who lingered around the crime like hovering insects. Photos were still being taken of the body (making Magnus very doubtful that Ragnor heard about this murder on the news) and filed away for later usage. Of course there was reporters there for various new stations too. Vultures of personal business.

Magnus lingered on the side lines, contemplating which police officer he would be best to approach. Which one looked perceptible to flirtations and could possibly accidentally let some information slip? Magnus was just about to see if the red headed officer with the nice brown eyes would talk to him if he approached her when something caught his eye.

A reporter ducked underneath the yellow tape and stepped into the fountain. They were carrying their black sneakers in one hand while holding a notepad and pencil with the other. Magnus wondered why he hadn't have thought of just slipping by while the police were occupied because all he really needed was a small peek anyway. Infuriated that a leech of a reporter was able to figure this out before him, Magnus watched in an enraged huff as the black haired reporter waded across the water and crouched beside the body.

They didn't touch the body (for obvious reasons) and immediately started scribbling notes. Wait, what were they writing? It couldn't be good. If Ragnor was right about the nature of the death then there was most certainly going to be a bunch of vampire headlines now. Just perfect. Magnus sighed. He was going to have to buckle down for the next few weeks and ride the wave out until something new came along and captured their frankly quite short attention spans. He could invite Ragnor and Catarina. They could make a slumber party of it!

Magnus was thinking about the colour scheme to which he was going to have to change his house to for this hybrid get together when the reporter looked up and his blood turned to ice.

It was like being thrown back sixteen years. Sixteen years in which Magnus could still remember almost too clearly. He didn't want to believe that this was true, that he had somehow managed to cross paths with him again but there was no denying it. The unmistakeable blue eyes made sure of that. Even though he tried not to think of it often, Magnus still remembered his name like it had only been yesterday in which he had heard it.

Alexander Lightwood. Or 'Alec' as most called him. Magnus nearly knew everything there was to do know about that man, every piece of information still stored in his memory like it hadn't been sixteen years since he had to investigate him. It's weird, the things you remember when you're standing on the side lines, smouldering in jealousy.

Alec stood up again, sopping wet from the knees down, and picked his way back to the edge of the fountain. His black skinny jeans were rolled up to his knees and there were black patterns marked on his pale skin, miscellaneous blemishes that weren't tattoos or a matter of birth. Magnus had hoped that the marks would have faded by now but they hadn't. They stood out against the boy's porcelain white skin like he'd received them just the previous day.

Magnus hadn't moved, glued to the spot by the fact that he couldn't believe Alec had grown so much. What age had he been? Four years old, wasn't it? Yes, that was right. Four . . .

~M~

"Mr. Bane, you have to help us, please!" Maryse Lightwood begged. She and her husband sat in Magnus' office, both completely traumatised by what had happened to them. Maryse was maybe laying the upset on a bit too thick for Magnus' liking but he could tell that she was being genuine.

"What is it that's happened?" Magnus asked suspiciously. As a Private Detective who didn't really need money and only did it as a passing hobby, he was extremely weary of which cases he decided to take on and which he turned down.

Maryse dissolved into an alarmingly violent puddle of tears, sobbing into her handkerchief so hard that Magnus couldn't comprehend a word she said. Her husband, Robert, stepped in, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder to silence her. "It's our son," he clarified. "Alexander." Maryse sobbed harder, to the point where Magnus worried for the state of his freshly shampooed carpet.

"Why do you think I'd wish to aid your doubtless, repellent brat?" asked Magnus. He wasn't a great fan of children. Mostly because he couldn't have them himself so he distanced himself as much as possible. Especially with Camille's constant nagging about it recently, children were the last thing he wanted to deal with.

"He's been kidnapped," said Robert. He slid a photograph across Magnus' desk of a small boy holding a little baby, presumably the Lightwood's daughter Isabelle. "There was no sign of a break in or a struggle. We just went to his room yesterday morning and he was . . . gone."

Just gone? That peaked Magnus' interest. It certainly sounded interesting. Maybe he had been a little too hasty when deciding on first glance whether or not he wanted to take this case.

"Have you been to the police?" he asked.

"Of course we have," Maryse snapped. "But they are so slow in taking care of things and my boy is out there somewhere being hurt." She stared at Magnus with pleading blue eyes. "Please, help us. Name a price and we'll double it."

If only Maryse knew that Magnus wasn't in this for the money. He named a price anyway, just to ensure that he got something out of the whole deal that wasn't just satisfied curiosity. Besides, there was a very interesting leather couch in the IKEA catalogue that got dumped at his door that he was considering trying out against the current scheme of his apartment and it would be nice to not have to steal it with magic for once.

"I'll do what I can," Magnus finally concluded.

Maryse sniffled. "I suppose we can't ask much more from you."

She was right. They couldn't.

~M~

"Los Angeles Student Slain? No . . . Vampire. Something with vampire in it." Alec almost walked right past Magnus, he was so focused on trying to come up with a headline for his report. He had every right to, as well, because there would be no way he'd possibly be able to recognize Magnus anyway. The scent of his blood was almost overpowering. Citrus and sandalwood. It was so strong it almost invaded Magnus' senses completely and he nearly lost all train of thought.

Magnus was prepared to let Alec go by because even though there was a part of him that was curious as to what Alec was now doing with his life he knew that he couldn't risk getting involved.

Except at last minute Alec pulled up and stopped in front of Magnus. His sneakers were now tied to his wrist by their laces so he could scribble ideas into his notepad. "What do you think of 'Vampire Killer Rocks LA'?" Alec asked Magnus, lifting his eyes from the page to smile at the vampire hybrid. "Too cheesy?"

"Vampires don't exist," Magnus smiled back.

Alec looked over his shoulder to gaze at the body that was now being bagged. "I think she'd disagree with you," he said.

When he turned back around, Magnus was gone.


	2. A Black Parade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus attends the funeral of the girl who died in the fountain, hoping that he'll find some sort of clue relating to her cause of death.

Chapter Two

"This is how it begins Magnus, I'm telling you!" Ragnor ranted. Magnus rolled his eyes and let his head fall back over the top of the sofa. "Vampires killing willy nilly. This is how the rumours start! This is how we get exposed!"

"Ragnor, have you seen the photos in the papers?" asked Magnus. "Those were not genuine vampire punctures. It was obviously a human trying to make a murder seem supernatural."

"And they've succeeded!" Ragnor responded. A pretty brunette, who sat with a cocked head and almost dopey expression on the sofa beside Magnus, stood up and offered her wrist to the fretting hybrid. Ragnor took the offer gratefully and sunk his teeth in, greedily sucking out the blood inside in a feeble attempt to smooth his nerves. "Want some?" he mumbled anxiously over his snacking. The brunette turned to Magnus with that dopey smile of hers and offered him her other wrist. It seemed that she thought she was being seductive, if the gleam in her eye was anything to go by. Magnus tried to do the polite thing and not snort at her failed attempts. There was just something about people who acted so blank and unfulfilled that switched him right off.

"No, thanks, Catarina owes me a box load of AB negative after I caught her cheating at poker," said Magnus. The brunette seemed disappointed but Magnus wasn't all that bothered about that. Ragnor fed on her in that nervous way he always did for a few more minutes before dropping her wrist and letting her return to the sofa. She curled up on the cushions like a house pet and fell asleep. Magnus rolled his eyes. Darklings. Such submissively boring creatures.

"It's only a matter of time now." Ragnor wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and began to pace again. Like Magnus, Ragnor was very well off. He didn't have to provide service for money and, unlike Magnus, he chose not to. Why work when he could live off his magic? There wasn't much work for green skinned hybrids anyway. Certainly not if they wished to hide their true identity at any rate. "This close to getting exposed Magnus, this close!"

"Chill out, sweet pea, I'm on it," said Magnus. Ragnor glowered at the nickname that he had grown to loathe and regretted even telling Magnus about. "I'm on it like super adhesive glitter." Magnus' word wasn't enough and Ragnor still paced anxiously around his condo's main room. Darkling girl was sleeping, probably from blood loss. "Look, I'm going to the girl's funeral this afternoon. I'm going to scope those who attend. See if I can see a potential vampire wannabe. It's fine. We'll be fine. You gotta stop sweating it."

"I'm sorry for being a little worried about the security of our lives!" Ragnor exclaimed dramatically. Ragnor was always a tad over dramatic. Especially when it came to things that could be potentially dangerous. Magnus was more relaxed about that sort of thing. If Los Angeles did get too big on the vampire scene then they could migrate to Japan for the winter. Oooh! Or Peru. Magnus and Ragnor hadn't been to Peru in a while. Well, if the warlock council had forgotten about the little ban anyway . . .

"Trust me, it's sweet," Magnus promised. "I've got this all under control."

~M~

Magnus didn't have this under control.

Standing under the shade of a giant oak positioned just a little away from where the girl's body was being deposited, Magnus could make out a lot of shifty figures. It seemed that she had been a Goth. Or part of a cult. If her friends were anything to go by anyway. Each one of them were dressed in black (okay, normal for a funeral) but also had faces painted white with dark facial makeup that stood out against the whiteness. Dear Lord, and don't get him started on their fashion sense. Drab didn't cover it.

Once all the sad stuff was dealt with and everyone made their way to their vehicles-probably to head to the local community centre or pub for nibbles-one of the goth girls walked ahead of the group of Marilyn Manson wannabes, her head bowed and her face contorted in despair. She wasn't as dramatic looking as the others with her simplistic make-up and a simple black dress. One of the other girls tried to comfort her but she shook them off, scowling at the grass angrily. The only male of the group-a man who looked twice the age of the rest of them and didn't look at all goth-like-then approached the girl and said, "It's okay Christina, we forgive you."

"Shut up!" Christina snapped. Magnus caught the glint of a knife catching the sunlight just as she spun around and sliced the man's face with it. It wasn't a deep wound, just a flesh cut, but it was enough to start bleeding. Thankfully Magnus had impeccable self-control and, frankly, the man's blood didn't smell nice at all. Kind of like rotten tomatoes.

"It's your fault!" Christina roared as the rest of the wannabes pulled her away. "You did this! You killed her!" She yanked herself out of their grasp and continued to walk ahead, passing the tree in which Magnus stood by without looking up once. The penknife remained in her hand, dripping blood onto the grass.

The wannabes flocked around the injured man like a pack of worrying mothers. He waved them off but they continued to fuss, all of them walking in a mass of black and white. As they passed, Magnus heard the man say to them, "She has strayed but is not lost. Give her time, she'll come around."

"Odd, isn't it?"

Magnus jumped in surprise, turning to find Alec on the other side of the tree. He had a different notepad from the one he had a couple of nights ago in his hands. Where that one was black as night, this one was white with multi-coloured spots. He stood with his pencil poised over the paper, ready to start scribbling notes at any second.

"Is it?" Magnus asked.

"Well, yeah," said Alec. He looked at Magnus with those enticing blue eyes of his, lit up with curiosity. "Cult like group dominates friend-to-family ratio at the funeral and then grief stricken girl slices guy's face open and no one bats an eyelash."

Magnus was reluctant to admit that that was exactly what he had been thinking. How had Alec appeared there so quietly? How had he had he slipped under Magnus' detection? Now that he came to think about it, though, there had been a wisp of the scent of citrus and sandalwood in the air. "Your point being?" Magnus asked carefully.

Alec gave Magnus a knowing smile and tapped his nose. He moved away from the tree and started to walk in the opposite direction to everyone else. His black notepad from a couple of nights ago was hanging out of the back pocket of his jeans, the pages thickened by vigorous notes. Not that Magnus was looking in the direction of the reporter's back pockets. Obviously not. How many pads did Alec carry with him?

Magnus stepped out from under the tree and cupped his hand over his eyes to block out the sun. Sunlight didn't cause him to burst into flames but being exposed to it for a certain length of time did cause undesirable effects. Magnus in sunlight was like water in a boiling pot. If it spends too much time on the heat it boils over. Thankfully today he had sunglasses that matched his outfit and blotted out the sun successfully.

"Are you still running with the vampire story?" asked Magnus, catching up with the elusive reporter.

Alec turned around and brushed his hair back from his face. "There's no such thing as vampires," he reminded Magnus, that knowing smirk still on his face. "There is, however, a beautiful opportunity for an interesting story. What else would make people want to watch The Clave?"

"The Clave?" Magnus parroted in question.

"The news show I present from time to time," Alec clarified. "It's an online thing but we're growing in popularity."

Magnus felt a familiar tug inside his stomach. The same sort of warmth he always felt when he solved a case. The sort that came synonymous with feelings of contentment and safety. Maybe it was knowing that Alec was okay and was making end's meat with a good job and stable income provoked this. Magnus had never had a case like Alec before and he never did after.

"You're obviously very keen on your job," said Magnus.

"Of course I am. It's my life." Alec responded. He was back to writing, somehow able to walk in a straight line without having to look up. "The only reason Clary let me run further with this lead is because the vampire angle has attracted interest and my video reporting the body in the fountain has brought in the most views the website has ever gotten because of it."

That was exactly what Ragnor had been afraid of. Magnus was slightly amused by this but there was also a twinge of worry regarding the security of the Downworld's secret. Magnus couldn't bring himself to be annoyed with Alec for inventing the vampire idea which would soon be picked up by bigger name news stations. He was just doing his job. Anyone would have made the connection to vampires, whether it be fact or fiction. It just so happened that Alec got there first. Mainly because the reporter was too tenacious to wait and slipped past the caution tape.

"Do you have any leads?" Magnus asked.

Alec looked up from his notepad and brushed his hair away from his eyes. "I might have," he answered. "Why, are you a police officer?"

"Private Investigator," said Magnus.

"Oh, I see," Alec answered. "So are you following a case?"

"I could be. Client confidentiality," Magnus lied. The only way he ever got information was to constantly pretend he was on a case. Hopefully it wouldn't turn into a 'boy who cried wolf' sort of deal. Hadn't so far, thankfully.

Alec pulled his other notepad out of his back pocket, nonplussed to the fact that Magnus couldn't resist watching him do so. He flipped the notepad open and said, "Her name was Imogen. She was killed first and then brought to the fountain, judging by how old the marks in her neck are which, by the way, are genuine bites."

Magnus resisted the urge to scoff. Yeah right, 'genuine'. As genuine as those plastic fangs you buy for Halloween are.

"I can see that look on your face," said Alec. The sunlight bounced off his eyes and Magnus couldn't help feeling hypnotised by them. They were just as he remembered them to be. The shade hadn't changed. Hadn't darkened or lightened. They were the exact same. Beautiful. Laughing. Innocent. "I don't mean 'genuine' as in genuine vampire bites. That would be ridiculous. When I say 'bite' I mean teeth. Human teeth, in fact. Made to look like the bite of a vampire. Somebody definitely has a fetish for the theatrical."

So it was a human trying to make the murder look like a vampire attack. "Do you have any leads regarding who the possible murderer is?" he asked.

"Are you really asking? After witnessing what just happened?" Alec answered.

Okay, he was right about that. That cult of goths had to have something to do with it. Especially the man. "Do you know who the girl who cut his face is?" asked Magnus.

Alec shrugged. "No idea," he admitted. "It was my next port of call."

Magnus scratched his head thoughtfully, absentmindedly brushing the glitter that fell out off his shoulder after. "I suppose it's mine then too," he said.

"Might see each other again soon then," Alec grinned, stuffing his notepad back into his pocket. He said goodbye and turned right, heading up the embankment that led onto the main road again. Magnus watched the reporter's exit carefully, as if the journey from the graveyard to his car was treacherous and he had to make sure Alec was safe.

Magnus stayed in the graveyard, not sure where to go with this next. "That's what I was afraid of," he said, even though nobody could hear him but the memories of the dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for reading! Please do leave your thoughts!
> 
> I do a review series for each episode of Shadowhunters every week if anyone in interested in checking it out! You can find my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_nG5aisxOrTsnCarnytxVw
> 
> I also post updates in relation to my writing on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BBerrychills94
> 
> You can also find me on Instagram just for, well, fun: https://www.instagram.com/erinluuvsbooks94/
> 
> If you follow me let me know you're a reader from here and I'll follow back ^_^


	3. Investigation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus seeks out Imogen's family to find out more about the murder victim. Alec interview's Imogen's best friend and uncovers some disturbing information.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There will be some OC's in this story. Mainly side characters who won't have major bearing on the future plot. It's just so that I don't run out of TMI/Shadowhunters characters for future important roles. I hope that's okay! :)
> 
> Thank you everyone for the kudos and comments! I'm delighted that so many of you have heard of Moonlight! It was such an awesome show that deserved so much more than what it got. This fanfiction won't be a word for word rehash of the series but it will borrow a lot from it in terms of lore; plot and characters. 
> 
> Enjoy! <3

Chapter Three

Magnus' next port of call was Imogen's family. He was convinced that the girl with the knife from the funeral knew something about Imogen's death. She had to, what other reason was there for acting so vengefully? Unless, of course, there was some unfinished business with the two, that was also a possibility. However, that didn't explain why she knifed a guy for trying to comfort her. No, something deeper was going on.

Imogen's family were very accommodating. They didn't seem concerned as to why Magnus was looking into their daughter's death (although that could have something to do with the fact that he was pretending to be an officer on the case) and allowed him into their home to ask some questions. Magnus waited a few days-despite Ragnor's ignition-before approaching the family. He was many things but insensitive was not one of them. Funerals were hard things to attend, even worse when it's for one of your children, and having someone waltz up to you and start poking and prodding about their child's death wouldn't make the experience easier.

As a 400+ hybrid, Magnus had attended many funerals. Some easy, some extremely difficult. He knew what it felt like to lose loved ones and he knew that if someone had tried to talk to him about the death on the day-especially an official-he would have bitten their head off and told them where to go. Maybe his years matured him but he liked to think he wouldn't behave that way anymore. That didn't mean that Imogen's parents wouldn't. Magnus had been alive for nearly half a millennium, whereas mere mortals only had one hundred, at best. Not nearly enough time to adjust to death.

It was clear that Imogen's family were well off. That didn't mean anything but it did help Magnus build an image of what sort of life she had lived before she died. Her parents were clean; uptight; strict; Christians who made their faith clear by having crucifixes on nearly every wall in the room. Magnus found it strangely amusing. If only they knew that their equivalent of a demon was currently sitting at their kitchen islet drinking tea. They'd certainly attempt the holy water trick, which was why Magnus was keeping it to himself (he was wearing a very expensive silk shirt and did not want it to get damaged).

"Did your daughter express any strange behaviour in the few days prior to her death?"

Mrs Herondale shrugged helplessly. "It always been hard for us to tell," she admitted helplessly. "Imogen never... behaved in the manner we raised her to."

Magnus quirked an interested eyebrow. "And what way would that be?"

"Respectfully," Mr Herondale, who had been eyeing Magnus' painted fingernails distastefully, answered. "She was into the unholiest of things. Satanism; demons; rituals that no girl her age should be a part of. We hoped that Jesus would find her again and lead her back on the right path but . . . it was too late."

Magnus wasn't surprised by this. If the Herondales were as uptight as they seemed, then Imogen probably had a very sheltered childhood. If she was smothered by her parents and forced to practice their ideas and religion, then it wasn't that hard to imagine her trying to break free and go against them. Satanism; demons; rituals, they were all just acts of teenage rebellion. Teenage rebellion that may have gone too far.

"Do you think that these practices could have gotten her into trouble?" Magnus asked, brushing a blue painted thumb over the flower etched onto his pink mug. "I'm sure there are many sketchy people involved in that sort of thing."

Mrs Herondale nodded firmly. "I know that that's what happened. Those . . . those . . . creatures even had the audacity to attend her funeral! As if they care!"

"Creatures?" The term amused Magnus, for he had been on the receiving end of that word many, many times.

"Her friend, Christina," Mrs Herondale practically ground the name out between her teeth, "was an awful influence on Imogen. She was the devil incarnate, luring our little girl into Satan's works. They were part of this group. I never knew what they did together but I'm sure it wasn't good. It makes me sick to my stomach to think about. A bunch of girls being led on by that abhorrent man . . ."

Magnus thought of the group at the funeral. The gloomy bunch dressed in black and painted white. They all seemed to look at that man as if the sun shone out of his ass and he had all the answers to any questions they may have. Magnus frowned. Christina had been the one who lashed out against him, and knifed him when he tried to touch her. Maybe she knew something about Imogen's death, something that could further the case. This was becoming more trouble than it was worth.

If the secrecy of the vampires wasn't at risk, Magnus probably would have left it by now. Why put effort into something that isn't going to benefit you?

"Then there was that ridiculous scene with the knife," Mr Herondale muttered, tears glittering in his eyes. "Why must they behave so disrespectfully? I know they aren't Christians and don't believe in our practices but they knew that we did and wanted to bury our daughter."

Magnus had never been all that good with crying strangers. People he loved? Yeah, he could comfort them no problem, in fact he was more than happy to help them. However, he only met these people ten minutes ago and, despite his impeccable socialising skills, he did not know them well enough to feel like he had the right to comfort them.

"We'll find out who did this," he said. "I promise."

Mrs Herondale, who's head had descended into her hands with despair, nodded. "I hope you're right."

"Don't worry," said Magnus, "I am."

~M~

Alec had been doing this his entire life. Finding Christina was no problem.

All he had needed was a name-spoken by the man who she sliced at the funeral-and it was easy enough to locate a person. Tracking, for a reporter, was never that hard a task. Alec just asked around the town a little, using Imogen's name as a trigger word to make sure he got the right person in the end. Christina was a little bit of a recluse and posed just that little bit more of a challenge than most people Alec tried to track down. He was, however, extremely resourceful, and tracked the girl down to a diner called 'Taki's'.

Alec didn't like to draw attention to himself. He preferred to slink through crowds or large groups of people silently. It made his job easier, as he was able to eavesdrop and pick up information when nobody suspected him. Why suspect someone who barely lifts their head? Alec had been using this to his advantage for many years now. His confidence had grown a little over the years and he was able to approach people easier and express his intentions to them without looking like a psychopath digging for personal information.

When Alec first told his parents that he wanted to be a reporter, they laughed at him. A boy with crippling anxiety? A reporter? They found it hilarious. Alec had struggled with social anxiety for a long time, as well as many other issues due to a traumatic experience when he was four years old, but unearthing the truth had always fascinated him. So he made it his personal mission to prove his parents wrong. Sure, sometimes he was still mildly anxious, but in his pursuit of journalism he found a happy medium between confidence and anxiety. The rest just fall into place around it.

Now this story? This story was going to put him on the map. Well, sort of. The Clave map anyways. The vampire angle had fascinated Clary, his boss and editor-in-chief of any and everything they air on the Clave, and she was allowing him to pursue it further. This was the first proper reporting job Alec had gotten, community fairs and school spelling bees aside, and he was determined not to mess it up. Maybe if he got this right, Clary would offer him a permanent position at the Clave, not just a freelance on-off deal.

Christina looked uncomfortable in her pink diner uniform. Alec supposed it was maybe because of her preference of black (which, honestly, he could relate to). The diner was practically deserted, with an elderly couple sitting at the top of the room eating soup and a greasy looking teenager very nearly inhaling pancakes at the counter top. Christina stood at the end of the counter, beside the till, glancing at the pancake boy with her nose slightly turned up.

Her green eyes locked on Alec as he approached, and she straightened, immediately on defence. "I know you," she said, her voice accusing.

"You do?" asked Alec, stopping in front of the till.

"You're that reporter. You broadcasted Imogen's death on that website of yours!" she answered.

Alec's stories had never been all that popular, so being recognised had never been something he had had to worry about. Until now. "It would have been picked up on the news eventually," he reasoned, "My camera wasn't the only camera there that night."

Christina folded her arms, blonde hair falling over her eyes, revealing a couple of strands dyed bright green. "You started them on the vampire idea," she said. "Why make a mockery out of someone's death like that?"

"Well, she did have two holes in her neck . . ." Alec raised his eyebrows. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"What makes you think I do?" Christina immediately responded with.

Alec shrugged. "You knifed a guy at Imogen's funeral, that was my first guess. You blamed him and the rest of that black parade," he said.

"What were you doing at Imogen's funeral?"

"What was a group of goths fluttering around a middle aged man doing at Imogen's funeral?"

Christina narrowed her eyes. "I'm not giving you anything to report on your stupid show," she said.

Alec held his hands up, almost in a surrender-like pose. "I have nothing on me." He turned around, so she could see his back pockets, which were also empty. "I'm here as a friend. I want to find out what happened to Imogen."

Christina still didn't look convinced. She rounded the counter and said, "Lift up your sweater so I can see the waistband of your pants. For all I know you're wearing a wire or something."

Alec did as she asked. Christina leaned forward, small eyes scanning him carefully, before straightening up and frowning. "Why do you want to solve Imogen's murder?" she asked quietly.

"Some of us may come off as intrusive rats," Alec explained in reference to journalism and reporters of his calibre, "but I always make it a mission to make sure that stories I report have a closed case at the end, a means of justice being served on the behalf of those affected."

Christina sighed. There was a brief pause before she nodded. She led Alec to an empty booth and sat down. He slid into the seat opposite her and waited for her to speak first. This wasn't a time to push, Alec had to let her speak on her own terms. That was the mistake most reporters make. If you press the button too hard, eventually it will break.

"Imogen and I," she began, "we joined this...group. Well, I say group, it was more like a class. The tutor... He taught us after hours, when the college was supposed to be shut but remained open just for him. I joined first, then I convinced Imogen to do the same. Worst mistake of my entire life, I should have just left her alone."

Alec's fingertips twitched, thinking about the notepad he'd left in his car. (He didn't go anywhere without a pad). It was better this way; he could consume everything Christina had to say without having to worry about writing. Notes could wait, as much as it pained him. "What sort of class was it?" he asked.

Christina shrugged. "The Dark Arts," she said plainly. "Couldn't you tell from the crowd at the funeral? They were members of the class, pretending to mourn Imogen. As if they care."

"Why wouldn't they care?"

"Everyone in that class hates each other. We were all competition," Christina explained.

"Competition? For what?" Alec frowned.

"Mr Glassborn's attention." Christina said Mr Glassborn's name like it was poison to her tongue. "He sleeps with his students, there's not a single girl in that class who hasn't shared a bed with him." Christina sighed, her face turning red as she looked away with shame. "Including me."

Alec wasn't surprised. A class about the Dark Arts? It didn't seem like the type of environment that had any particular rules, certainly not regarding student-teacher relationships. "What sort of stuff did Mr Glassborn teach you?"

"Satanism; rituals; self-mutilation; anything relating to the supernatural"-

"Self-mutilation?" Alec was baffled. "Why would you attend a class that teaches you how to hurt yourself?"

Christina eyed Alec suspiciously. "You're one to talk. I saw those black marks when you pulled your sweater up. What are they? Burns? Scarification? Cutting marks?"

It took Alec a moment to realize what Christina was talking about. "I don't know what they are," he answered honestly. "My family call them my Runes, but there hasn't been a doctor that could diagnose them yet."

"How do you inflict something on your body but not know what you're inflicting?"

"It wasn't self-inflicted."

Alec didn't talk about it often, certainly not to strangers. The only person he felt comfortable seeing the Runes was his boyfriend Sebastian, and that had been after months upon months of dating. There were black marks, all over his body, shaped as if to look like symbols or, indeed, 'runes'. They had been there ever since he was four years old. Ever since . . .

No.

"So did Mr Glassborn sleep with Imogen?" Alec asked, propelling the conversation away from his marks.

"She wouldn't stop boasting about it but wasn't too pleased when she realised that Mr Glassborn can't keep it in his pants. He would do anything, even a man I'm sure if one joined the class. He treats it like a damn rite of passage. 'Sleep with me and you can become part of my cult'!" Christina was scowling now, pissed at herself for ever getting roped into Mr Glassborn's tricks. "That's why she quit the class."

Alec was intrigued by this story. It was too elaborate to have been made up. "So Imogen left the class?"

Christina nodded. "Last week. Now she's dead. Coincidence?"

"I think not," Alec murmured under his breath.

"I quit too," Christina muttered. "I shouldn't have allowed myself to fall under Glassborn's stupid spell. I was stupid and naïve. I wish I had had more sense. The man's a nut job!"

Alec frowned. "How so?"

"Satanism and cult aside?" Christina asked, raising her eyebrows.

Alec nodded. "Yes, all of that aside."

Christina's green eyes darkened, as if what she was about to say was particularly galling. "Well, there is the fact that he's 100% convinced that he's a vampire."


	4. Mr Glassborn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec manages to get a place in Mr Glassborn's class.

Chapter Four

Getting into Mr Glassborn's class wasn't hard. It seemed the man was willing to take anyone interested in the subject he simply titled 'The Dark Arts'. Alec suddenly wasn't surprised why there were so many goths in the class. Find something labelled the Dark Arts and of course you're going to attract some shifty looking characters.

When Alec enquired at the local college about the class, he hadn't even been asked for ID or proof of previous education before he was told he could sit in on a class to see what he thought. It was kind of irritating because he had it all prepared. He always made sure to be prepared for any and every possibility when going undercover or investigating a lead. Today it had been for nothing.

Mr Glassborn-or Xavier, as he liked his students to call him-had written a book based on Satanic Rituals and Satanism, which Alec purchased on his kindle the day before. He preferred paperback copies but since it was such short notice, there was no time to go out to a shop to buy it. Alec had spent the entire night before reading the book, so he would have something to capture the man's attention with when he attended the class. It was definitely a . . . unique read, certainly not on Alec's top ten list. It was kind of disturbing and there were passages that Alec would never be able to remove from his mind because of how gruesome they were.

Sitting in on the class wasn't so bad. Alec sat at the back, where he couldn't be seen, and blended in just fine with the group in his dark sweater and jeans. Some of the girls looked his way, curious about the first male student to ever have set foot in the classroom. There wasn't the allure of Xavier's appearance and promiscuity (so they thought anyway) so what would Alec's reasoning be for being in a Dark Arts class? Unless, of course, he was interested in the Dark Arts, which could be concerning for some of the wannabes who were only in the classroom at all for Mr Glassborn but maybe not so much for the girl playing with her Stanley knife beneath the table.

In terms of the apparent allure of Xavier, Alec didn't see the appeal. Maybe it was because he knew that the man was a possible murderer but he just didn't find him attractive. He could see why others would-strong build; dark hair; clear brown eyes were all a good combination-but he just wasn't Alec's type. Although, Alec wasn't really sure what his type was. He just sort of went with the flow and was currently living with a lawyer who had a headful of luscious natural white hair and a voice that could melt butter.

Alec met Sebastian through mutual friends. Alec's best friend-practically adopted brother-Jace began dating Clary, the editor in chief of The Clave. She had been kind enough to give Alec a job working on the show when Jace enquired (behind Alec's back, might he add) about it. Sebastian visited The Clave headquarters every Friday afternoon to bring Clary a cup of coffee when he finished work early. Sometimes, however, Clary would be out on a job and Sebastian would have to wait around for her.

That was he started talking to Alec.

At first, Sebastian would have prowled around the room, acting real nonchalant like. If Alec weren't so oblivious, he would have noticed Sebastian staring at him as he weaved around the desks and computers, with a clear intention of eventually sitting in front of him. This had been the time when Alec had been focused on trying to capture Clary's attention so she would give him a proper reporting gig and he had been so immersed in his work that he nearly fell out of his seat when he looked up to find Sebastian sitting there.

Sebastian had found this incredibly amusing and offered Alec the cup of coffee that would be stone cold by the time Clary got back anyway. He was easy to talk to, and that was a godsend for Alec, as his extremely awkward tendencies sometimes caused him to be a tad reclusive. Of course, he was still awkward as hell. Alec always had an atrocious ability to become scatter brained around men he found attractive. Sebastian was able to bring him out of his shell, though, and they talked for ages about work and life in general. When Clary got back from her job Sebastian asked Alec if he could see him again and they had been dating ever since.

That was about a year and a half ago now.

Alec was content with Sebastian. That was the only way he could put it. He was content. Initially, he had believed this to be a good thing, but when he mentioned it to Isabelle she had pulled a face and said, "You shouldn't settle for anything less than absolutely perfect." Alec waved her off. Nobody was perfect and, since contention wasn't an awful thing, Alec didn't mind his life with Sebastian. He was lucky to have such luxuries as a loving boyfriend; a stable job; and a roof over his head. Some people weren't as lucky. He could see where Isabelle was coming from, but since he was perfectly fine with where he was at, he didn't see the use in pursuing anything different from what he already had.

Alec was relieved when the class ended. He hoped dearly that he wouldn't retain the information that he had gathered today, for he didn't plan to summon an Incubus into his home in order to gain pleasure and even having the knowledge in his head made him feel slightly dirty. The way two girls from the second row rushed out giggling, though, Alec wondered if he was the only one who thought this way. Clearly they weren't the apple of Xavier's eye at the moment and considered supernatural pleasure more exciting than actually going outside and getting a boyfriend. Maybe Alec was old fashioned but he wasn't keen on the idea of being haunted for the remainder of his life just because he was so lonely that he summoned a demon into his home. Sebastian would be pissed off too, no doubt.

Alec lingered at the back of the room while the class emptied out. Xavier was tidying his desk and Alec took a moment to consider the possibility that maybe Christina had been lying. Xavier looked normal enough, and seemed it too, except maybe he was a bit too kooky on the Dark Arts stuff. But . . . thinking he was a vampire? Surely he wasn't that deluded. There had to be a line somewhere, right?

However, Alec recalled some of the passages he'd read the previous night on his kindle. The chapters on torture; and murder; and rape. And, despite himself, Alec did admit that there was an odd enforcement of the importance of blood. It was constantly mentioned, and described in such a lustful manner, it did give the impression that the author was a bit . . . obsessed. The author being Xavier Glassborn. Looks could be deceiving, and Xavier's plain demeanour could be hiding something very sinister.

When the final student left the room, Alec slowly approached the front of the room, where Xavier was just finishing clearing the desk. "I haven't seen you here before," he said, startling Alec at his ability to see him without having to look up. "New?"

"I was considering joining the class," Alec explained, an internal shudder coursing through him as he mimicked the stutter he had when he was studying journalism in college. He didn't know if it made him sound younger but it was worth a shot. "I was told I could sit in to get a feel for what it was like."

"What did you think, then?" Xavier straightened, meeting Alec's gaze with a confident smirk. "Was it what you expected?"

"It was," Alec answered, forcing a smile onto his face and switching to fanboy mode. "I read your book and I loved it. I found it so interesting and I finished it all in one night."

Xavier raised his eyebrows. "I'm impressed. Most of my students don't bother with my writing. Sometimes I even wonder if they're listening to me in class."

"It's their loss," Alec beamed. Inside he was internally screaming. "They're missing out."

Being praised seemed to appease Xavier, and he moved around his desk to stand by Alec without there being a divide. There was a sleazy look on his face and Alec felt the urge to step back a couple of paces. "If you're interested, I hold a study class on Friday evenings," he explained. "It's private, much less people than this class, and I only invite the most dedicated of students to it."

"Dedicated?" Alec acted shy, blushing on command. "I'm not even an official student yet."

"You read my book and didn't feel the need to call the cops," said Xavier. "That's pretty dedicated, official student or not."

Alec didn't like how close the man had gotten, and remembered what Christina had said about Xavier's tendency to sleep with his students as a rite of passage. He stepped backwards, sitting himself on the edge of a desk to make it look more casual than it actually was. "I didn't find it that bad. I've seen worse," he said.

Xavier quirked an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Alec nodded. "Ever seen the play 'Cleansed'?"

Xavier's face lit up, dark eyes amused. "I have. It's one of my favourites. It's such a shame about the playwright, though. She had so much potential . . . Imagine the works she could have written if she had just held on. So young too. Such a waste."

Alec was roped into doing a report for Jace on the play 'Cleansed' by Sarah Kane because Jace himself had gotten drunk a few hours prior due to his inability to say 'no' when someone says "let's all go out for a drink" at lunch time. When Alec came out of the theatre he felt like he'd been drenched from head to toe in dirt and he'd never be clean again. The point of the story was to be disturbing and when Alec had read the programme and it said 'graphic depictions of violence' he wasn't sure what else he had been expecting. To be honest, he should have prepared himself more for it instead of thinking it was going to be like a cheap snuff movie you find at the back of the pound shop.

Jace got an A on the report though.

Who knew such a disturbing experience would come in handy now.

"A masterpiece, in my opinion," Alec said.

Xavier eyed Alec up and down. Alec watched him, his heart pounding in his chest as he hoped he wasn't going to get caught out. "For such a shy thing you've certainly got a dark mind," he commented. Alec raised his eyebrows. Xavier grinned. "You're just like me. Minus the shy part."

"Is that a good thing?" asked Alec.

Xavier reached out and brushed Alec's hair back, pushing it behind his ear. Alec tried not to frown or slap the man's hand away, especially when his eyes seemed to slid beyond their locked gaze to rest on his neck. Christina's theory was starting to sound more and more plausible . . .

"Maybe we can go and see it sometime," the tutor murmured. He didn't sound all there. Almost like he was thinking about something else, something that had been occupying his mind for a while.

"Sure," Alec said carefully, almost feeling like if he said the wrong thing Xavier was going to snap back into reality and realise out of the blue that he was being played. "Maybe after the study class on Friday. I think the National is putting it on."

Xavier grinned. "Maybe. Although the class does stretch on pretty late."

"How late?"

Alec was so beyond uncomfortable right now he just wanted to jump out of his own skin and run away. Why did Xavier take so long to answer? It was like he was rolling the question around in his head and trying to figure out what the most perfect answer would be. "Midnight, sometimes longer."

"Oh, wow."

"Does that put you off?"

Alec shook his head. "Of course not."

Xavier grinned. "Perfect."

Alec grinned back. I'll bring my wire.

~M~

Magnus had never been to college. Not that he was regretful of this, in fact he was almost relieved by it. From what he could see of modern college students, they all seemed to have an absurd level of immaturity that was so bad it should almost be terminal, and some campus' were just a hotbed of crime; booze; and sex. Okay, so the second two didn't sound that bad, but the former was enough to put a person off.

As Magnus approached the massive complex that was the Technological College of Idris, he felt an involuntary shudder. It was nearing six o'clock and, if it weren't for the Dark Arts class, he was sure that the entire building would probably be closed. He could almost feel the crushed dreams and motivation oozing from the front doors.

From what he learned of the class that Imogen and Christina attended from the Herondale's, they would disappear for the night and come back at ungodly hours in the morning. Imogen would tell her parents that she was going to her class and nothing else. It didn't take much for Magnus to then hack into the directories of all the colleges of Idris and locate the tutor that had been at the funeral. His name was Xavier Glassborn, and this Dark Arts class that he taught matched the hours that Imogen and Christina would vanish off into the night at.

The class was held at the Technological College of Idris and, as Magnus was walking up the entranceway stairs, a flock of girls-he didn't have to look at them twice to know they were the same bunch from Imogen's funeral-came out of the building and left. The ones at the front were giggling and laughing, while others lingered back a few paces, walking slowly and not interacting with anyone. All of them dressed in black and wearing gothic make up. If Magnus hadn't been sure that he was in the right place before he certainly was now.

Magnus ignored the receptionist, sliding past the desk when their back was turned and trusting his own sense of direction to find Xavier's classroom. He tried to capture the man's scent but there was something blocking it. Magnus tried to see past it as he took the stairs took at a time, winding around to the third floor where he could sense the blockage coming from. It smelled of citrus and sandalwood and by God if Magnus wasn't working on an important case he would take a moment to consider how fucking good that mixture of scents actually was.

The third floor was a straight corridor lined with rooms, tapering off to the right at the very end. Magnus look around the walls as he walked, the bulletin boards hooked at every possible interval portraying diversity trips and extra-curricular activity signup sheets and printed notices. Magnus wondered if anyone actually paid attention to these boards. He wasn't an expert on college students but he didn't think they'd be all that invested in Student Councils or extra classes on sexual health.

He was too busy examining the walls that he wasn't looking where he was going and he walked straight into somebody. The sandalwood and citrus scent hit him harder than the person did. Magnus almost knocked them over, his body stronger than any mundane could ever comprehend, and he grabbed them before they fell. His eyes widened.

"Alexander?!"

Alec stared at Magnus. "Alexander?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

Magnus blinked. "Uh, I watched your report on the Clave and saw your name was on the screen," he said, maybe too fast and too panicked. He quickly released Alec, realising that he was still gripping the boy by his arms. "What are you doing here?"

Alec looked over his shoulder before returning his blue eyes to Magnus. "Remember that man from Imogen's funeral?" he asked quietly. "Well, I just attended one of his classes. Christina told me everything. Apparently he's hooked on the Dark Arts."

Magnus was baffled. Somehow Alec had beat him to the punch. How the hell did that happen? "Oh, really?" he asked. "Did you discover anything interesting?"

Alec shrugged. "Apparently he's convinced he's a vampire," he says.

Magnus almost burst out laughing. That poser at the funeral thought he was a vampire? That was hilarious. The ceremony at the graveyard had been long and the day had been brutally hot. Vampires may not burst into flame when the sunlight touched them but they did get incredibly sick incredibly fast when exposed to it for too long. Magnus worked his way around this by standing under the shade of trees or buildings and always keeping a pair of sunglasses on his person. Xavier, though? He had been right out in the middle of the graveyard with the sun beating on his back and he barely flinched. Fakers were easy to spot, if you knew what you were looking for.

"I know, ridiculous, right?" said Alec. He looked over his shoulder again, clearly paranoid about Xavier suddenly appearing out of nowhere and overhearing their conversation. "Let me guess," he said as he turned back around, "you're here on your case too?"

Magnus grinned. "You got me."

"I told you we'd be running into each other again," Alec smiled.

Magnus had a knack for reading emotions. He liked to think it was a personal talent of his (and had nothing to do with the fact that he could hear people's heart beats) and from what his ears were picking up from Alec, either he was extremely uncomfortable or had just gotten out of an uncomfortable situation. His heart was beating very fast, almost in a frenzied manner.

"Are you alright?" Magnus frowned.

Alec brushed his hair back from his face and sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I forgot to mention that Xavier's a man whore, didn't I?" Magnus raised his eyebrows and the older man's confounded expression made Alec laugh. This was the third time he and Alec had spoken since they met again and Magnus could already conclude that he would never tire of hearing Alec's laugh. After having the image of a little boy screaming and crying in his head for so long, Magnus was more than ready to replace it with him smiling and laughing.

"What?" Magnus chuckled.

"Yeah, he's real slippery," Alec said, turning his nose up distastefully. "I'm going to a private study class with him on Friday evening."

"Is that safe?" Magnus grimaced.

"Probably not," Alec shrugged. He put his hands into his pockets and walked around Magnus, heading for the stairs. "But, hey, if I can solve the case by going then why not?"

"Why not? You could get hurt, that's why not!" Magnus restrained himself, smothering the urge to march after Alec and drag him back until he convinced him not to do something so reckless. After all these years, Magnus still felt a responsibility to look out for Alec. Despite trying his hardest to shake the obligation, it never left him. There would always be a part of him that would want what's best for Alec.

Alec stopped at the top of the stairs, looking perplexed. "I can look after myself," he said.

"Against a possible murderer?" Magnus asked seriously.

Alec frowned. "Who are you, anyway? You never told me your name."

Magnus realised that this was true. How did that happen? "Why, don't you trust me?" he teased.

Alec propped his hand on the banister and leaned his weight against it. "I only met you at the beginning of the week," he said. Something flickered behind his blue eyes, something Magnus could vaguely discern as puzzlement. "I don't even know why I'm telling you things like we've known each other for years."

Magnus resisted the temptation to say that they did. Well, he did. There was no possible way Alec would remember. He had been too young at the time. "You know that I'm genuine," he said. "You don't seem like the type of person to be easily fooled."

Alec straightened, folding his arms in an almost defensive stance. "I don't just trust people. Certain events have caused me to realise that trusting just anyone can get you royally screwed, whether you're a good person or not," he said.

Magnus wondered if these 'certain events' where the same ones that he had in mind . . . The previous puzzlement in Alec's eyes had melted into something more vulnerable. An almost helpless glint that shone against the deep azure and exposed just how afraid Alec was. Not of going to the class with Xavier on Friday evening but of the things he couldn't remember. The things from his past that haunted his dreams in harsh fragments even if it had been over a decade ago.

"My name is Magnus. Magnus Bane."

Alec's stance relaxed a little. "Okay, well then, Mr Bane, I'm going to be going to this class on Friday, whether you approve of it or not," he said assertively. "I am an investigative reporter. This is what I'm supposed to do."

Magnus had to stop arguing with Alec about this. Not only would it simply raise Alec's suspicion rather than defuse his desire to investigate the class but it could cause unnecessary stress as all it took was the wrong word said at the wrong time and it could trigger Alec's memory of what happened. Magnus knew that Alec was still suffering from what happened him all those years ago. Not just because of the runes that still burned his skin, but the way his entire posture stiffened at the mere thought of it.

"I have to go, Sebastian will be wondering where the hell I am," Alec muttered.

"Sebastian?" Magnus frowned.

Alec paused mid turn to look back at Magnus. "My boyfriend," he said slowly. "I do have a life outside of my job, you know."

"Right. Sure. Of course." Magnus felt a twinge of jealousy. Why, he wasn't completely sure. Just because he had known Alec for so long didn't mean that he had some sort of claim over him. Alec was free to date whoever he wanted and, to be honest, Magnus was glad that he hadn't let his stickler parents convince him that homosexuality was a no-go. Magnus hadn't known Maryse and Robert that long but from what he gathered of them, they hadn't been all that pleasant. Very old fashioned.

"Don't worry about me Mr Bane," Alec smiled. "I can look after myself."

Magnus couldn't help smiling back, despite his ignition at Alec's stubbornness. "It's Magnus, not Mr Bane."

Alec nodded, clicking his fingers as he turned away. He hopped down the stairs two at a time and called, "And I'm Alec, not Alexander!" His voice bounced off the walls of the empty corridor and reached Magnus almost like a symphony.

Magnus watched Alec disappear. He felt an instinctive pull to follow Alec out of the building. He desperately wanted to know what sort of life Alec had led after the incident. Did he have a good childhood? Did he have friends? Did his sister, who had only been a baby when Maryse and Robert went to Magnus about Alec, know grow up to learn what had happened? If so, did she support Alec when things got tough? Most importantly of all, did he grow to be happy?

Magnus knew that it was none of his business and the day he parted with Alec all those years ago should have been when he left it all alone. However, knowing something and trying to enforce it are both completely different things, and there had always been a part of Magnus that wanted-no, needed-to know if Alec led a good life after that. Magnus wouldn't settle for anything else.

Now that Alec was so close at hand, ignoring what he should do was becoming very hard.

Very hard indeed.


	5. Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus interrogates Glassborn about Imogen's death.

Chapter Five

"I have to say, Mr Bane, I'm surprised by your appearance here." Xavier leaned back in his chair, threading his fingers together and letting them rest on top of his abdomen. "I already spoke to the police and told them everything I know about Imogen."

Magnus sat on top of one of the desks opposite Xavier's desk. Xavier must borrow the room because, judging by the colour scheme and the work pieces on the walls and counters, it was really a French room. Magnus wouldn't be surprised if Xavier jumped from classroom to classroom each week so that he couldn't be tracked.

"Call me Magnus," he said. "I understand that you've spoken to the police but I'm a Private Investigator, I work outside of the police."

Xavier's black eyes narrowed. "Who hired you?" he asked.

"I can't tell you that," Magnus answered.

"Was it Christina?"

Magnus quirked an eyebrow. "Why would it be Christina?"

"That girl has had it out for me ever since Imogen died," said Xavier.

"And why is that?"

Xavier shrugged. "If you can figure it out during the course of your investigation do feel free to return and tell me," he said. "Because I have honestly no idea."

Magnus could see through Xavier. He was lying. He knew fully well why Christina held such animosity towards him. Magnus would bet all of his money-and Ragnor's too, most likely-that it was linked to Imogen's death. "Why are you wearing contacts?" he asked. "They aren't medicinal, judging by their rather nefarious nature, so what's the use in them?"

Xavier smirked, cocking his head with curiosity. "You're observant," he said.

"It comes with the territory," said Magnus. "Nobody has natural black eyes, anyways. You certainly go out of your way to look sinister."

"I embrace the darkness in all possible outlets," Xavier shrugged.

Magnus hummed, trying not to laugh. He had always struggled to take these type of people seriously. Embrace the 'darkness'? Who in their right mind would do that on their own free will? If they truly knew what it was like to live through hell, Magnus doubted they would be as keen.

"You're one to talk," Xavier continued. "You don't seem unfamiliar with contacts, either. Unless, of course, your mother was a cat."

Magnus rolled his eyes. "Scared of cats?" he asked.

"On the contrary. Cats are believed to be the guards to the gates of hell," Xavier answered.

Magnus' thoughts immediately went to the Chairman, who was most likely lounging around in his apartment and stuffing his face with kibble. Aye, right, the guard to the gates of hell. Totally.

"Did you have any relation to Imogen outside of being her tutor?" he asked, getting straight to the point. There was no point messing around with small talk about cats and contacts. Magnus didn't want to spend any more time with this man than he already had to.

Xavier mulled the question over. "I make it a personal job of mine to get to know my students on a personal level as well as an academic, if that's what you mean," he eventually said.

"And what would you consider knowing them on a 'personal' level?" Magnus asked.

"Nothing you can prove," Xavier answered plainly. His own rebellious answers made him smirk. It just made him look stupid. Like someone who laughs at their own jokes. Magnus immediately came to the conclusion that Xavier Glassborn had an unfortunate case of cocky shite disease and sadly it was incurable.

"You sleep with them, don't you?" Magnus deadpanned.

Xavier's eyes sparkled with a wicked glint. "You said it, not me."

"It's true though," Magnus threw back. "Trust me, I've dealt with plenty of people just like you."

"Oh, I don't think you have."

"Just because you think you're a vampire doesn't mean you're immune to being a perverted sleaze," Magnus tried not to yell. If he yelled, Xavier would know that he was getting him annoyed. And Magnus wasn't going to let Xavier know this. It would only further amuse him.

Xavier didn't seem affronted by the vampire accusation. "I am a vampire," he simply stated.

Magnus shook his head, actually finding himself smiling. "You're deluded," he chuckled. "Why in the world would you want to be a vampire?"

Xavier scoffed. "I didn't choose to be a vampire."

"Oh, I really think you did," Magnus fired back.

Magnus had lived long enough to know that most people who got turned into a vampire had not chosen that life for themselves. Vampires were barren, meaning they couldn't have children, so all of them had been human at one point in their lives. There were some idiots who actively sought out to be bitten, thinking the life was flawless and the sort of thing you read about in romance novels but it doesn't take long for the novelty to wear off once you've royally fucked yourself by getting turned. If you asked, over fifty percent of existing vampires were guaranteed to say that they did not consent to having their lives ruined by being bitten.

Magnus was one of those people . . .

~

Magnus woke up to excruciating pain. Of course, when he imagined waking up on the morning after his wedding he had been expecting a headache of some sort-maybe sore feet from all the dancing-but this was off the charts agony. And it wasn't in his head or his feet. It was his neck. Lifting his heavy head from the pillow, Magnus' heart stopped at the sight of dark red liquid covering the silk cover. He ran his fingers over it and examined his fingertips. It was thick and sticky, the consistency all too familiar. Blood.

He touched his neck, where he felt the pain coming from, and it was wet. His fingers slipped and he swallowed hard, realising that the blood was coming from his neck. Somehow he didn't think it was one hell of a hickey.

"Camille?" he called out, panic lacing his voice. Magnus stumbled to his feet and hissed as the light streaming in through the window gave him a migraine. He flicked the blinds closed and looked around the room. It was a mess, remnants from their love making trashing the room. Funny, he couldn't remember much of the actual sex. Just making it to the bed . . .

"Camille?!" Magnus shouted. He looked down and realised that he was still dressed in his tux. It was wrinkled and stained, the blood still gushing from his neck having stained his white shirt.

Magnus staggered into the bathroom, grabbing the doorframe for support like a drunk struggling to gain their balance. His fingers stained the paint and the wallpaper as he moved, his carelessness making him practically paint the walls with blood. He threw himself at the sink and jerked the taps on. He washed his hands, watching the blood dilute and swirl down the drain. Once clean, he cupped his hands together and threw the water that gathered there onto his face.

He looked up.

Magnus momentarily thought he looked normal. Slightly pale, but nothing extreme. Then he realised that his neck was still bleeding. Tilting his head, he examined the wound in the mirror. Two circular holes, blood pulsing out with every beat of his heart. He seemed to have lost so much, logic dictated that he should have been dead, immortal or not. But he wasn't. How was that possible?

Magnus nicked his lip by accident, causing a slither of blood to slip down his chin and add to the massive stains on his clothes. Grimacing, Magnus pulled back his top lip. He almost passed out at what he saw.

His teeth had turned into fangs.

Horrified, Magnus backed away from the mirror. No, this couldn't be right. He was a warlock, not a vampire! This had to be some sick joke! Or a dream or something!

Camille appeared behind him, a smug smile on her face. "What did you do to me?!" Magnus exclaimed. She slinked over to him and wound her arms around his torso, pressing her face into his back. She was still wearing her wedding dress, the garment somehow immaculate despite the state of her bed and the man she had married. Her fingers dug into Magnus' skin, almost possessively, not caring that the blood stuck to her skin like glue.

"Now you're like me," she murmured, her voice content. "Now nothing will break us apart."

~

Magnus shuddered.

"And I suppose you're some kind of expert then?" Xavier asked.

Magnus narrowed his eyes. "Yes."

This made the tutor laugh. "There's no one with more expertise in this field than me. Hence why I teach this class. Who else should teach the Dark Arts than a member of the Dark Order himself?" he asked rhetorically. "My students willingly choose to be in my class and willingly choose to prove themselves worthy of being a part of my Order."

Magnus rolled his eyes and slid off the desk, wandering around the room just to have something to occupy his actions. "By sleeping with you," he deadpanned again.

"Virgin sacrifice," Xavier noted.

Magnus ran his finger along the counter tops, walking at a leisurely pace. "Do you really believe every single one of those girls were virgins when you got your slimy hands on them?" he asked.

"Virginal to the Darkness, yes."

Some of the shit Xavier said sounded so ridiculous and so pompous at the same time Magnus didn't know whether to laugh or cringe. "I hear you hold extra study sessions on Fridays. Was Imogen part of that class?"

There was a small pause. "She may have been," Xavier eventually said. "I only invite the most dedicated of students. That and those who are new and need to be initiated"-

"Initiated?" Magnus stopped, his thoughts immediately going to Alec. "What do you mean initiated?"

"I like to think of it as teacher-student bonding," Xavier took pleasure in explaining. "It's nothing extreme, I just take the time to get to know them and explain the syllabus." He smirked at the word 'syllabus' and Magnus knew full well that he did not mean the curriculum of the Dark Arts.

"You're abusing those girls," Magnus stated bluntly. "There's no other way to put it."

"Is it really abuse though if it's consensual?"

"If they're underage then yes, it is."

Xavier shrugged. "C'est la vie," he said. "You don't have any proof. None of those girls would testify against me in a court of law so any case you feel you may have would have no substance to it."

Magnus grimaced, knowing that Xavier was right. Xavier's students were a bunch of love sick puppies, each one thinking they held a special position in his thoughts, unaware that they were no different from the girl next to them. If he asked them to deny what they had gotten up to during these 'bonding' sessions, they wouldn't think twice before consenting to do it.

"Why did Imogen quit your class?" he demanded.

"Because she's an idiot."

"Oh really?" asked Magnus, raising his eyebrows. "Hardly a professional answer."

"She was just a silly little girl who got jealous because she found out that I didn't intend for us to be exclusive," Xavier explained. "I feel no guilt towards her leaving the class but do wish I could have spoken to her before her untimely end. She was not a special case to me. I will continue supporting my students in any way that I can, whether she is alive or not."

Magnus felt his stomach churn. Every passing second with this creep made him feel ill. "Will you stop saying shit like 'supporting my students' just admit what it is you're really doing!" he snapped. "You're jumping into bed with them."

Xavier's black eyes glistened and he smirked with amusement. "I initiate them," he said slowly. "Take from that what you will."

"You're sick," Magnus concluded, disgust written all over his tone.

Xavier was unfazed, smug smirk still burned into his features. "Which you say as if it's a bad thing," he all but purred. "I am sick, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Magnus moved to the door. If he was in the presence of this man any longer he was going to punch him in the nose. He only paused once, to look over his shoulder at Xavier and say, "We'll see about that," before leaving without another word.

~M~

Fire. Fire everywhere.

Alec couldn't see through the burning flames. All he saw were oranges and reds. Burning his skin; boiling him alive. He pressed against the wall, feeling so scared and so impossibly small. He was aware of screaming, and scratching, and fighting; going on inside the flames. It hardly mattered, he was screaming himself as well, practically roaring with fear. He was crying, his face soaking wet, the salt water frying on top of his cheeks as the fire fanned him.

A figure emerged from the blaze. Only one, despite there having previously been two fighting each other from within. They sparkled, tiny speckles of glitter being the only thing Alec could discern. The figure crouched in front of him, their face obscured by darkness. They said something, but Alec couldn't hear, however it sounded like 'I'll take care of you'. The person stood up and picked Alec up, holding him against his torso as he carried him away from the fire.

It was as he was being carried away that Alec heard the high pitched scream. The sound was so enraged it shook his bones and despite how safe he felt in his saviour's arms, Alec screamed back with fear. He shut his eyes to blot it out, but could still hear it in the dark behind his eyelids-

Alec woke up with a gasp. He lurched into an upright position, clutching his chest and panting heavily. He couldn't get enough oxygen into his body and pulled at the collar of his sleep shirt to lessen the pressure around his neck. His eyes danced around the room, consuming the calm darkness; the silence; the cool air that soothed his skin and caused goose pimples to rise along his arms.

Sebastian stirred beside him. "Alec?" he murmured, sitting up and touching Alec's shoulder. "You okay?"

"Nightmare," Alec replied, waving Sebastian's concerns off.

Sebastian tsked and rubbed Alec's back, comforting him as he tried to get his breath back. "Was it about that night?"

Alec nodded.

He didn't remember much from the days he had been kidnapped. In fact, he barely remembered anything. Understandably enough, since he had only been four years old when it happened. However, for some reason, this same night kept haunting him in his dreams. All that ever presented itself was fire; fighting; and his saviour carrying him away. That scream as well. That atrocious; horrifying scream . . .

"Do you want to talk about it?" Sebastian asked.

"No," Alec muttered. "I can't."

Sebastian nodded and kissed Alec's shoulder. "You know you can tell me anything," he murmured into his skin.

"It's not that I don't want to," Alec answered, tracing the rune engraved on his forearm habitually. "I physically can't. There's nothing to say beyond what you already know. Nothing makes enough sense for me to be able to assemble together and explain. I wouldn't even know where to begin . . ."

Sebastian enclosed his hand over Alec's arm, trapping his hand against the rune he had been tracing. "Your past is your past," he said firmly. "You conquered it. Whoever it was that kidnapped you was taken care of. That doesn't mean you have to bottle it up. Even if you want to talk about what's confusing you, you can. Even if it is three in the morning."

Alec smiled and looked at Sebastian in the dark of the room. "I know," he said softly.

Sebastian returned the smile and leaned forward, connecting their lips in a sweet kiss. Alec closed his eyes and opened his mouth, wanting to lose himself in the moment and forget those ugly dreams. Sebastian lightly pushed his boyfriend down onto the bed, his lips tracing the black mark the side of his neck lovingly. Alec tensed, his entire body tightening even now, after being with Sebastian for more than a year. He never adjusted to the feeling of someone else touching his runes.

"I love you," Sebastian murmured, hands digging into the pillows at either side of Alec's head, green eyes sparkling with exactly what he described. Love.

Alec's eyes tightened, like he could ward away the conflicting emotions that he felt when Sebastian said such things to him. He cared about Sebastian dearly, and felt emotions for him beyond platonic relationship, but he couldn't bring himself to say the 'l' word just yet. Alec didn't want to say it until he meant it. And the fact that Sebastian had gotten there before him just made everything all the more difficult.

"You don't have to say it back," Sebastian said, stroking Alec's face with his left hand. "Not until you're ready."

Saying that almost made it worse. The fact that Sebastian was so understanding just made Alec feel all the guiltier.

"Do you need me to stay up or do you think you'll be able to get to sleep again?" Sebastian continued, settling down beside Alec and tugging the covers back up over them.

"No, you go to sleep," Alec said, turning onto his side to face Sebastian. He could only vaguely make out the form of his boyfriend in the darkness. "You have that important case in the morning, it's hardly going to help if you're falling asleep at the table."

"Yeah because I'd get fired and you'd probably leave me because we'd have no money," Sebastian teased.

Alec mock gasped. "Of course! Why else do you think I put up with you?" Sebastian laughed. "Let's be completely honest here, it's you who's putting up with me. At this point I'm surprised you haven't left me for someone easier to be with."

"Easier how?"

"Well, for a start, someone who you can sleep with through the night without waking you up . . ."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "We've talked about this," he scolded. "I would rather you wake me up than you internalising it and suffering through the night. Besides, our early morning chats are always fun."

"And that's why your voice is getting heavy with sleep?" Alec teased. He could just picture Sebastian's eyes fluttering with exhaustion as he dragged his words tiredly. He brushed his fingers through Sebastian's hair and stroked his cheek with his thumb. "Go back to sleep, I'll be okay."

"You sure?" Sebastian asked, even though he was half asleep already.

Alec watched Sebastian fall asleep in the darkness, a peaceful smile on his face. "I always am," he finally said, even though his boyfriend couldn't hear him.

Alec knew very little about his kidnapping. His parents didn't spare much detail, almost as if they didn't know themselves. In fact, the only reason they ended up telling him that it had happened at all was because of how real and intense his nightmares became the older he grew. When he shared a room with Isabelle when they were kids, she would complain about him talking in his sleep, crying and begging for someone to leave him alone or to set him free. That was how he was able to put two and two together.

Even then, his parents were reserved about telling him about what happened. All they did was sit him down when he turned thirteen and explained that when he was four years old, he had been stolen from his bedroom. That was the oddest part of all. Alec hadn't been snatched out of their front garden; or bundled into a van off the street; or bribed by a criminal disguised as the ice cream man; Maryse and Robert put him to bed that night and the next morning he was just gone. Like he had evaporated into thin air.

The only other piece of information he got was that the culprit had been caught and there was no need to worry about it.

Alec wished he had a bit more clarity on what had happened. In no way did he want to relive the experience, but he had a craving for answers to many questions that circuited his brain on a regular basis. Why did this person take him? How did they manage to take him from his bedroom and leave mostly everything untouched? Who exactly was this kidnapper? Why had they chosen him?

Who was it that saved him?

Alec was nearly one hundred percent sure that it had been one person that had saved him that night. His dreams may have been unclear but if he took anything away from them it was that someone saved him. Not the police force or a swat team or anything grand like that. Just one person. Singular. When Isabelle was younger she used to call this mysterious person his 'guardian angel' and sometimes still did to this day. Alec simply thought of them as his saviour.

Who knows where he would be right now if he hadn't been rescued.

Turning onto his back to stare at the ceiling, Alec forced his eyes shut. The most likely scenario would be that he wouldn't sleep for the remainder of the night; he never did after his nightmares. Even with his conscious mind awake and alert, his nightmares still haunted his thoughts. Sometimes during the day, he would be working or walking down the street or just sitting in his living room and suddenly he'd be seeing the fire from his dreams and a crippling fear would overcome him.

To this day he couldn't bear being about fire. It made him feel sick and afraid.

Alec massaged his eyelids irritably. Tomorrow was Friday. He'd be up late investigating Xavier; he was going to need some form of sleep. Sighing, he turned onto his opposite side and grabbed two sleeping pills from his beside cabinet. He didn't use them often, only for when he really needed them. To be perfectly honest he preferred pulling all nighters than taking medication but if something important to do with his work was coming up the next day he knew he had no choice. The pills trapped him, forcing him to remain unconscious even if he was having a dreadful dream. It almost felt endless.

Once he swallowed them dry, Alec laid back down and tried to relax. He always felt tense, as if prepared for a fight that was never going to come. His muscles were constantly coiled and he'd often find himself opening and closing his fists, his system too afraid to shut down in case he was kidnapped again. Except he knew it was ridiculous. He'd never be kidnapped again.

That didn't end the fear though.

The pills seized hold of his system and his eyes slid shut, plunging him into the terrifying abyss that was his own mind, where he was subjected to the most frightening thing of all: his memories.

Nothing ended the fear.

~M~

Magnus knew he was catching people's eye.

Ragnor had always been distressed by how abnormal Magnus' fashion sense was. He claimed it brought unnecessary attention and maybe they would somehow figure out that Magnus wasn't like them simply through his eccentric attire. Magnus had told him to stop being such a fretful sprout, for he was not dressed unusually. It was called style, not that he expected Ragnor to know anything about that anyway. Magnus knew that he was the epitome of fashion, even if some just weren't ready for the particular type of fashion he preferenced.

Magnus liked being the centre of attention. He was an exhibitionist, and would accept any and all attention that was offered. If someone stared at him like he was anomalous, he would wink at them; maybe even smirk in their direction. People were bred to be judgemental, it was in their nature, and since you can't help nature, Magnus accepted any eyes he captured-whether their gazes be positive or negative-with open arms. Attention was attention.

The sun was setting and the streets were in that nice inbetween state where the roads were clear after the coming home shift and the partygoers hadn't started going out yet. Even in the streets' empty state, a couple of people still lingered, and those who did gave Magnus odd looks as he passed. He wondered if it was his green leopard print blazer. Was it too loud?

Magnus wanted to talk to Christina, Imogen's friend. Clearly she had some sort of interaction with Xavier since Imogen's death aside from the attack at the funeral. Magnus felt if anyone knew a way to expose Xavier, Christina would know. If she had been as smitten by Mr Glassborn as Imogen had been then there was surely something she had learned from the time she had spent with him.

He felt on edge. Magnus was hyper aware of the fact that it was Friday evening, and in a few hours Xavier would holding his ridiculous study class. The ridiculous study class Alec would be attending. Magnus knew he shouldn't have been worrying about Alec and that Alec was perfectly capable of looking after himself, but there was something that didn't sit right with Magnus. Something about Xavier that made him feel unseated, especially in regards to how he treats his students, especially the new ones he feels he has to 'initiate'.

He needed to get Xavier arrested before the study class. Or, at the very least, before he got Alec alone.

Magnus peered into the window of the diner that Christina worked in. It was clearly closed, as the lights were off and the chairs were piled on top of the tables. The light was on in the kitchen, though, and Magnus could smell Christina's blood from where he stood on the opposite side of the door. It was stronger than the usual scent of blood. Normally it would be muted, the layers of skin and veins and arteries etcetera dampening the smell down, but Magnus could smell it fresh, almost like . . .

Looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was around, Magnus placed his hand on the door knob and twisted it roughly to the left, then to the right. The lock snapped and he pushed it open.

As soon as the door was fully open, Magnus was overwhelmed with the smell of blood. It was thick and nearly choked him as he entered the diner. He followed the scent and jumped over the counter, pushing past the kitchen doors that lay behind it.

Just as he feared.

Christina lay on the floor. Her eyes were locked wide open. It was clear that she had been stabbed, as there was a massive gaping wound in her stomach covered in blood. However, similar to Imogen, there were two holes in her neck: a pathetic replication of vampire bites. What was even the point? It was clear she had been stabbed. She was still in her work clothes; her shift must have just ended when she had been attacked. It was clear that she hadn't been dead long. Poor girl.

Magnus ran a hand over his face with frustration and cursed. "I'm sorry," he said uselessly to the body, as if she could actually hear him. "I should have gotten here sooner." Magnus didn't know Christina, nor should he have honestly felt responsible for her death, but he couldn't help feeling like if he had gotten there just a little bit sooner, he may have been able to stop Xavier. For all Magnus knew, his visit to the psychotic educator could have prompted him to come after Christina the way he did.

He couldn't even touch the body, or he would get his fingerprints on her. Magnus decided to call the police and get out of the diner before they arrived. They would take care of her. Even if Ragnor would probably bust a blood vessel at the idea of more fuel being thrown onto the vampire killings fire.

As he hung up the phone at the cash register, Magnus' heart dropped into his stomach, eyes widening in horrified realisation. "Alec," he said, spinning on his heel and running to the door. He burst out into the streets and took off down the pavement, moving faster than he had ever moved before.

He had to get Alec out of there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know the Alec and Sebastian stuff is probably hard for some people to read but for the story to work Alec needed to be in a relationship with someone. And I wanted it to be with someone from TMI not an OC. I chose Sebastian because Simon would have felt weird; same for Meliorn and Raphael; and to me Jace is his brother so I couldn't. Sebastian was the only option. I hope it's not too bad! 
> 
> I review episodes of Shadowhunters on youtube if anyone is interested! You can find me at youtube.com/c/ErinCurranHgtmigirlxx 
> 
> Please R&R with your thoughts! I love to hear your feedback! ^_^


	6. Take Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec goes to Xavier's private study session. Can Magnus get to him before its too late?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: From now on anything that is a flashback or a dream will be enclosed with ~  
> I'd usually write flashbacks in italics but I can't figure out how to do that on this site ^_^

Chapter Six

Alec arrived at the address Xavier texted him at twelve o'clock sharp, as instructed. The building was a massive warehouse and even as he approached, a chill jittered through him. It wasn't a particularly cold night and Alec knew it was his nerves already climbing up the wall. Xavier made him uncomfortable-which usually wasn't much of an achievement where Alec was concerned-in a way that wasn't exactly in direct relation to his anxiety. It was in a different manner. A more . . . sexual manner.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, making him jump out of his skin. Alec fished it out and flicked the green button. "Hello?"

"Alec, it's Isabelle, where are you?"

"I'm out doing a job right now," Alec said. He touched the back of his pants, to where the clip for the wire was securely fastened. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, that's fine. It's nothing. I think Mum and Dad were looking for you," said Isabelle. "The whole vampire murder shit has gotten them riled up. They're always asking where you are ever since you released that silly story about that girl Imogen being bitten by a vamp. It's weird."

"Yeah," Alec frowned. "It is."

"No matter. I shan't hold you back. Enjoy your job-work-thingy."

"Thanks. I'll drop by the house tomorrow," Alex answered, still frowning. "To, ah, put Mum and Dad's minds at ease, I guess?"

Isabelle snorted. "Yeah, you do that," she said. "Byeee."

"See you later, Iz."

Alec sighed and dropped his phone back into his pocket. He wondered why his parents were constantly asking about him. Normally they barely paid him attention now that he was older. Shaking himself off, Alec touched his side, feeling for the tape recorder and wire taped to his skin. Confident it was secure, he lifted his shirt and flicked it on. Alec took a deep breath and hugged his jacket closer to his body before entering through the side door. He picked through a corridor full of boxes before entering another room through a door at the other side.

This door opened into the warehouse. It was very cluttered, full of junk at every corner. Bits and pieces of nearly everything spilled out of every possible crevice. Clearly this place did not belong to Xavier. Unless he was a hoarder, that was. He had been teaching the Dark Arts in a French room the other day, after all (which hadn't been hard to gather if the colour scheme was anything to go by).

There was a circle of chairs in the middle of the room, with a couch a little ways behind. A few of the girls from the class Alec had attended where there, alongside some unfamiliar faces. Xavier sat in the middle, looking almost ghoulish under the cruel lights above.

" . . . And that's it for today," he said, smiling broadly like a clown. "I'll see you all next week."

Alec approached the circle while everyone else gathered their things and began to leave. Xavier stood up when he saw him standing there, clearly pleased by his arrival. "Am I late?" Alec asked, confused. Xavier had definitely texted him midnight. So why was the class over already?

"No, no, you're bang on time," Xavier answered. "I like to have one on one time with new students. To get to know you and learn more of your interest in the Dark Arts."

Alec's heart palpitated. He looked around behind him just in time to catch the last person leave through the door. Just perfect. He turned back to Xavier, forcing himself to look excited. "Great," he said.

Xavier beamed, almost looking normal for a moment. "Here, let me take your jacket," he said.

"No that's fine, really"- Alec began to protest. Except he only got half way through the sentence before Xavier was behind him, tugging at the back of his jacket and pulling it off. Alec reluctantly let him, knowing that putting up a fight about something so mundane could set alarm bells off for Xavier.

As soon as the jacket was completely off, Alec folded his arms again, covering as much of his runes as he could with his hands. He knew he was going to have to loosen up if he was going to be able to convince Xavier of anything but he was finding it impossibly hard. "Do take a seat," the educator said, gesturing to the sofa.

Alec rolled his shoulders as he moved to the sofa, trying to loosen himself up and be less coiled up, and sat down on it. The cushions were flat and if he had been any heavier he would probably have fallen through it. Alec perched on the edge, the fight or flight instinct within him going mad. Xavier pulled a chair from the circle over so he sat directly opposite Alec.

"Can you hold your hands out for me?" Xavier asked.

Alec's fingers tightened around his arms. "Why?"

The corner of Xavier's top lip quirked, black eyes having an almost wicked shine to them. "I want to feel your energy," he said. "It's perfectly safe, I've done it with all my students."

Alec swallowed hard. That was what he was afraid of. He reluctantly let go of his arms and held his hands out for Xavier, palms flat and outstretched towards him. As feared, the first thing that caught the older man's attention were the black marks on Alec's skin. He grabbed Alec's arm and drew him closer, tracing the pattern on his forearm with admiration.

"Did you do this yourself?" he asked.

"No," Alec answered. He tried to pull his arm back, hating the scrutiny, but Xavier held fast. Alec got a sinking feeling in his gut. How many girls in Xavier's class tried to pull back? "They're just tattoos."

Xavier tutted. "You can't lie to me, Alexander," he scolded. Alec shuddered at the use of his full name in such an unpleasant manner. "These are not inked. They're burned, almost scarred, into your skin. It's okay, you know. I have marks of my own from when I decided to decorate my body with a blade." Where anyone else would try to discourage the cutting of one's self, Xavier actually sounded . . . encouraging.

"I didn't do it to myself." Alec couldn't hide the irritation in his voice. The implication that he would willingly have such dark, ugly marks all over his body made him angry. If he had a choice, he would be rid of them all. "Someone did it to me."

"Who?"

"I don't know."

"Why not?"

"I can't remember."

Xavier reached out and nudged Alec's collar away with his pointer finger to analyse the rune that took up the left side of his neck. Alec flinched, never having liked being put under such intense study. All those years trying to figure out what the runes were; all the doctors poking and prodding him like he was some sort of weird animal; coming to the conclusion that they would never know . . .

"Fascinating," Xavier murmured.

Alec managed to slide his arm out of Xavier's grip. This seemed to shake him from whatever sick scarification reverie he was in. "Right," the man said, "let's feel your energy."

It was extremely difficult to take the 'energy' feeling seriously. Xavier held his hands above Alec's, eyes closed as he focused. Alec had to physically hold his bottom lip between his teeth to stop himself laughing. Not just because he was finding this entire situation ridiculous but because he was feeling very, very awkward. And when he felt awkward he would laugh, which usually just made the situation even more painfully awkward.

"You have a lot of energy, Alec," Xavier muttered under his breath.

Alec raised his eyebrows. "I do?" he asked.

"So much energy in reserve." Xavier opened his eyes. "Just waiting to be used."

"Used? How?" Alec frowned.

Xavier grinned. "I can think of a few ways." He tried to lean forward and Alec realised that he was going to try to kiss him. Of course hadn't entertained the idea that this wouldn't happen but for some reason he thought he would be more prepared for it. It turned out, he wasn't. Horrified, he moved his head back. Xavier scowled. "What are you doing?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" Alec exclaimed.

"Don't act like you don't want it, everyone does," Xavier insisted.

Alec stared at the older man, baffled at such a response. "I have a boyfriend!" he snapped angrily. "And it's not even like you're doing it because of, I don't know, genuine attraction. I know you sleep with your students. You're just doing it because you, you, you"-

Xavier looked smug. His hand, which had fallen to rest on the younger man's knee throughout the conversation, slid further up as he leaned in again for another attempted kiss. Alec pulled a face and pushed further back, practically melding himself with the back cushions of the sofa. He placed a hand on Xavier's chest and pushed him back.

"I'm flattered, really," he lied, "but I'm here for the class, not . . . well . . . that."

"What if I said it was the only way to get into the class?" Xavier enquired. He placed his hand over Alec's in a gesture that could almost be mistaken for affectionate. It would have, too, if he hadn't just said what he did.

Nervousness forgotten, Alec scowled. "I'd tell you to get your head out of your damn ass and accept that someday someone was going to say no to you," he growled.

Xavier looked unimpressed. "You read my book, right?"

"Yeah," Alec said cautiously.

"What was chapter five about?"

"Ra"- Alec stopped, narrowing his eyes. "Try it. I dare you. Fucking try it."

"Oh, are we going to act the hard guy now even though five minutes ago you were stuttering and blushing?" Xavier snapped.

Alec straightened up, forcing Xavier back by the hand that was still being held against his chest. "I'm not some docile idiot who won't defend himself when threatened. How stupid do you actually think I am?"

Suddenly, Xavier pushed him. And not in the way he had done before. It was like the tutor had been holding back, thinking that Alec was going to give in to him like his other students had done, but now that it was clear that Alec was not going to do that, he was coming at him full force. He pushed Alec down onto the sofa, bunching his shirt up in his first angrily.

"Very stupid if you think you can just walk into my class without giving me something," Xavier growled. His eyes fell to Alec's torso and scowled. He grabbed his side, fingers wrapping around the recorder taped to his side. Alec struggled, trying to get the man off him before he realised what it was, but couldn't shift the weight of Xavier from on top of him. He wretched the recorder from Alec's skin, and stared at it angrily.

"What the fuck is this?" he snapped.

Alec glowered vengefully, heart battering his ribcage. "What does it look like?" he spat back.

Xavier hissed, baring his teeth to the younger man. Two of them had been sharpened, widdled to look like fangs. Alec's eyes widened in horror, and he kneed Xavier in the crotch.

It seemed that vampires weren't immune to the intense pain of having their nuts crushed. Xavier yelled with pain and Alec used the opportunity to push him off him. Alec jumped off the sofa and rebounded off the wall by pushing off by his right foot, using the momentum to fly back at Xavier and kick him in the face. He quickly snatched the recorder from where it had fallen onto the floor.

The older man cursed and spat blood. He glared at Alec, dark eyes malicious and bloodthirsty. "You aren't getting out of here," he growled. "Alive, that is."

"What? Like Imogen?!" Alec barked, backing up as he spoke. He needed to get Xavier's admission on tape.

Xavier didn't answer. He grinned evilly at Alec and made a show of licking the blood from his fingers, taking satisfaction in it like one would do from licking chocolate from their fingers. Alec pulled a face. This man was too unstable. Maybe the murder threat was enough to get him locked up for something, at least.

"The little bitch thought she could just leave," Xavier surprised Alec by answering. "That is not how the Dark Arts work."

"Oh really?" Alec snapped. "And that's why you killed her?"

"She killed herself! She knew that opposing me was suicide!" Xavier replied.

Alec didn't even answer. He got what he needed, now he could run like hell and get the fuck out of there before Xavier killed him. Alec spun around to leave but his wire had gotten tangled around a nail jutting from the wall. It stopped him from going anywhere. Panic ensuing, Alec grappled at the wire, his fear only causing him to rush, which made the wire knot even tighter. He screamed with frustration, giving up and grabbing for the clip on the back of his pants instead.

Xavier smirked, blood dripping from his mouth in long thin strips. He didn't bother to wipe it off and let it all slide off his chin and onto his shirt. Stalking over to Alec, he snatched the recorder out of his hands and smashed it against the floor. Alec flinched at the sound of the device breaking upon impact.

"Such a shame, I was quite looking forward to exploring my sexuality with you," Xavier sighed, sounding genuinely despondent.

"Such a shame," Alec repeated sarcastically. His fingers finally found purchase on the clip on his pants. He released himself from the wiring and didn't wait a second before punching Xavier in the nose. There was a satisfying crunch and there was so much force behind it Alec was sure his knuckles had pushed all the way to the man's cheekbones.

Xavier grinned as Alec retracted his hand, blood now gushing from his nose. He looked demented, like something from a horror film. Alec made a move to escape but Xavier grabbed him, slamming his body against the wall, not caring that there was nail there. Alec cried out with pain as the metal dug into his back, thankfully not penetrating his skin.

The psycho slammed his mouth against Alec's, smothering his face with his blood in the process. Metal filled Alec's mouth and he nearly vomited, barely quelling it as the thought of what would happen if he threw up scaring him into forcing it down. Was this it? Was this seriously how he was going to die?

There was a loud crash. Xavier pulled away with a growl, looking over his shoulder furiously.

"Alexander!" A familiar voice shouted.

"Magnus?!" Alec exclaimed.

Xavier scowled at Alec and smashed his head against the wall, knocking him unconscious before he even got a chance to lay eyes on Magnus.

~M~

Magnus blew the door inwards with his magic, tearing into the room like a tornado. Xavier had Alec pinned against a wall, and there was blood everywhere. Oh god, what had happened!? Surely Xavier hadn't bitten Alec, he wasn't a real vampire!

"Alexander!" Magnus shouted.

"Magnus?!" Alec responded, confusion plastered to his tone.

Xavier suddenly blocked Magnus' view of Alec. He heard a crack and the sound of a body dropping against the floor. Xavier stepped back, Alec lying at his feet. Magnus' heart skipped a beat and he scowled at the man covered in blood with intense hatred.

"You better hope he's not hurt," Magnus growled.

"Oh, really?" Xavier hissed, baring his teeth at Magnus. He probably wanted to scare him away, but Magnus just laughed at him. The freak had cut his teeth to look like fangs. Not only that, he'd cut the wrong teeth to look like fangs. "Leave now before I send you to hell with Imogen!"

"You're so pathetic." Magnus thrust his hands outwards, sending a pulse of magic surging towards Xavier. It hit him full blast and sent him flying into the wall. He left a massive dent and cracks began to form in the drywall, spidering up to the ceiling and down to the floor.

Xavier was alarmed, scrambling to his feet again. "What are you?" he snapped.

Magnus approached the tutor furiously. He could feel his own fangs snapping out, brought out by pure rage and fear, as he crossed the room in a blink of an eye. He hovered over Xavier, glowering at the sad excuse for a being at his feet. Xavier didn't show fear. In fact, the more time passed the more excited he seemed to get.

"You're a demon!" he said excitedly.

Magnus rolled his eyes. He smirked indignantly. "What? Surprised that they exist? Thought you were one yourself," he said drily.

Xavier's eyes widened. "I am!" he barked back.

God, maybe this man truly was clinically insane. Magnus grabbed Xavier by the throat and dragged him up the wall. The prospect of being attacked by a real demon overwhelming him, Xavier didn't even fight Magnus. He simply stared, almost in admiration, as Magnus slammed him against the drywall in a chokehold.

"You're going to leave right now and turn yourself in," Magnus hissed. Now that they were practically nose to nose, Xavier was able to make out Magnus' fangs, and Magnus was able to feel his heart pick up. Not with excitement this time, genuine fear. "If you don't, I'll come back and I'll finish you. Do you understand me?"

Xavier narrowed his eyes. "Why do you care? Is it because of that boy? Because he was going to expose us, you know!" he said.

"There is no us," Magnus snapped. His head turned to check on Alec, who was lying unconscious on the floor. There was a gash on his head but he was still breathing. Relief flushed through Magnus' system and when he looked back at Xavier, fresh anger washed over him. "You are nothing; do you hear me?"

"In comparison to you, obviously," Xavier practically beamed. "You're brilliant. From the pits of hell itself."

Magnus clenched his jaw. It was taking every ounce of his strength not to kill this man. "Turn. Yourself. In. Or. I. Will. Kill. You," he spelled out slowly.

"Go on then, send me to hell," Xavier grinned, exposing his blood stained teeth. "Send me back home."

"Then there will be no justice in this matter. No justice for Imogen," Magnus snapped. "And you'll still be getting what you want."

Xavier laughed, red stained saliva dripping from his lips. "And doesn't that make your blood boil!" he cackled.

Magnus growled and let go of Xavier, letting him drop to the floor like a stone. Ignoring the psychopath for a moment, he moved to Alec to double check his condition. He could feel the younger boy's heart beat from where he stood, the strongest in the entire room, but for some reason Magnus felt more assured by a visual aid.

Alec was slowly gaining consciousness again. He touched the back of his head and groaned. Lifting his head up, he saw Magnus and a smile flickered onto his face. "Hey," he croaked, blue eyes heavy with exhaustion and agony.

Despite himself, and despite the situation, Magnus found the energy to smile back. Nobody could inflict such a reaction when in peril. Except Alec. Always Alec. "Hey," Magnus replied, holding a hand over his mouth to hide his fangs.

Alec's smile was so wide; despite the clear pain he was experiencing. Maybe his slight lunacy meant he had a concussion . . . Alec looked over Magnus' shoulder and suddenly the smile faded. "Magnus, look out!" he yelled.

Magnus turned around too late. Xavier had grabbed one of the chairs and snapped the leg off, creating a wooden stake. He lunged at Magnus and jammed the tip into his stomach, with the clear intention of killing him.

It hurt. By fuck did it hurt bad. However, Xavier-for someone who claimed to be a vampire-was still caught up in the myths. The stake didn't kill; but it did paralyse. And paralysing sometimes hurt a whole lot more than death. It worked so quickly Magnus couldn't even express the agony the piece of wood created. He was aware of Alec screaming and even though he was in intense pain, that was the most painful thing about the entire experience. His limbs seized up and he fell, landing on his side in a heap on the floor. He could still see and hear, he just couldn't move.

"Such a waste," Xavier sighed, looming over Magnus like the grim reaper. He clearly thought that Magnus was dead, not even bothering to check if he was blinking or breathing or anything. "I really didn't want to have to do that."

Magnus tried to move. He'd been staked many times in the past, and every time he believed that he could beat the paralysis. He strained so hard, so much that he thought his limbs were going to burst, but it never worked.

There was a shadow in his peripheral vision. Like something rising to its feet. Xavier saw it too and laughed. "You're really going to keep this up?" he asked whoever it was.

Then suddenly Alec was there. He jumped over Magnus' body and kicked Xavier in the stomach. The sheer momentum threw the man backwards. Alec then picked up a chair and cracked it across Xavier's head, knocking him to the floor. "You killed him!" Alec shouted at him. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Alec turned around and fell to his knees beside Magnus. He felt his pulse and Magnus felt his heart sink when he realised that, to Alec, he would appear dead either way. His body was dead-he had no pulse stake or no stake-and the way Alec's eyes watered when he saw this made Magnus want to scream. "He's dead," Alec said, almost to himself.

"He was never alive!" Xavier threw back.

"You're so full of shit!" Alec shouted.

Alec felt at the wound around Magnus' stomach, seeing no point in keeping the stake inside him if he was dead anyway. Winding his pale fingers around the piece of wood, Alec wrenched it out in one strong pull.

Magnus gasped, the feeling of being released again almost orgasmic. Alec screamed with surprise and fell backwards into the sofa. Magnus rolled onto his stomach, needing a moment to catch his breath again. "Y-You're alive!" Alec exclaimed as Magnus heaved himself to his feet again. The wound in his stomach was already healing itself, nearly completely fixed.

Magnus looked at Xavier irritably. "I didn't appreciate that," he spat.

"How are you alive?!" Xavier stammered, scrambling backwards. Finally, he was afraid. It seemed that he hadn't realised the gravity of the situation until now.

"Magic," Magnus said sarcastically. He flitted over to Xavier before the man could move another inch, his hands gripping the back of his neck and his chin. After the stunt he just pulled, Magnus knew he couldn't trust this man to turn himself in. Even in prison he could possibly become a threat. He was so charming and smooth anyway, he would probably attempt-and most likely succeed-at getting parole. "Any last words?"

Xavier's breathing was hard. He licked his lips and demanded, "Who are you?"

Magnus didn't answer. He jerked his hands, snapping Xavier's neck in two. His body fell lifelessly to the floor. The room fell silent for the first time in what seemed like forever. After all the trouble he had caused, it seemed almost strange that such a psychotic man's life could end so easily. Then again, Magnus knew all too well how easily life could be snatched away from you.

Alec stared at Magnus with wide eyes. Magnus stepped over Xavier's body and crouched in front of the terrified boy. He touched the side of Alec's face, forcing him to look at him and only him, not Xavier's dead body.

~The fire was growing uncontrollably. If he didn't get out soon, he would be consumed in the blaze, just like her. But he couldn't leave the boy behind. No way. He crossed the room and saw the child, nestled in the corner of the room; the same spot he had fled to when the fight broke out.

He crouched in front of the boy, amazed by how his big blue eyes were brighter than the fire itself.

"I'll take care of you."~

"I'll take care of you," Magnus said firmly.

Alec wet his lips, chest heaving as he struggled to breathe. He watched Magnus stand up again, blue eyes clouded with confusion and fear. Magnus held his hand out towards the younger boy, magic having ridden his skin of Xavier's blood. Alec didn't hesitate and grabbed Magnus' hand, accepting the extension of aid as if it had been offered to him numerous times before and he knew it was trustworthy.

As soon as Magnus hauled Alec to his feet, the wound on Alec's head finally returned to him full force as the adrenaline wore off. Magnus caught Alec as he fell against him, those beautiful blue eyes of his having rolled back behind his head like marbles. He heaved Alec up into his arms as if he weighed nothing, making sure that his head was comfortably nestled between his arm and chest.

"Oh my poor boy, what am I going to do with you?" Magnus sighed, smiling affectionately at Alec as he carried him out of the warehouse and away from the carnage they'd left behind.

~He stood up and lifted the boy into his arms, carrying him away from the fire and the smell of death. The boy began to cry, nestling his face into his neck, tiny fists digging into his torn shirt like claws. He was so scared. So lost. So damaged.

Magnus could not leave him behind . . .~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I did this scene differently from the television show so I could slip in some more action and drama. It's not going to be an exact play by play of Moonlight anyways, it's just a Malec-TMI adaptation :-)
> 
> Please R&R with your thoughts!


	7. Amnesia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Xavier's death.

Chapter Seven

"And this is where Xavier Glassborn finally met his end. The educator was found by police hanging in this warehouse; his neck snapped in two. Reports say he committed suicide after the realisation that the authorities were on to his rather unusual means of murder. What finally gave him up was the revelation that he had intimate relations with the murdered students Imogen and Christina and that he had an unhealthy obsession with vampires . . ."

Magnus watched Alec record his report from a safe distance. He hadn't known about Alec's work for long but somehow seeing him wrapping up a case on camera was strangely satisfying. He knew how much Alec had wanted this kind of gig and now that he had got it, after-admittedly-working really, really, really hard for it, Magnus felt almost . . . proud. Yes, that was it. Proud.

As Alec wrapped up, he noticed Magnus. He smiled and said something to his cameraman before heading in the older man's direction. Magnus felt strangely nervous; like a school boy being approached by his crush. He got the sudden childish urge to fix his hair to make sure it was sitting in place correctly.

"It's weird reporting a story I can't remember anything from," Alec said once he reached Magnus. "It almost feels incomplete; like there's something I'm missing."

"Shouldn't have smacked your head against that wall then," Magnus joked.

What really happened after Magnus rescued Alec was this: He called in the cleaners, and they staged Xavier's death to make it look like a suicide instead of a murder. The cleaners were the vampire's ultimate back up plan. They clean up any mess a vamp may have created, making it look like an accident; suicide; mundane murder; etc. so that their secret remained in place. Without the cleaners, Magnus would probably have been caught numerous times, especially in the beginning when he was a mere fledgling and didn't know how to control himself.

As for Alec, Magnus actually got lucky. His head wound hadn't been severe, but it was severe enough to cause short-term memory loss. Alec remembered nothing from the ordeal, only able to recall what transpired prior to Xavier smacking his head against the wall. Magnus lied to him, saying that he rescued him shortly after that and they both evaded Xavier. It was later that night that he then allegedly killed himself.

"Thank you, for rescuing me," Alec said. "I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up when you did." He shuddered. He looked over his shoulder at the scene of Xavier's 'suicide', a haunted expression on his face. "Who knows where I would be right now . . ."

"Hey," Magnus said, the softness in his tone causing Alec to look back at him with surprise. "You survived. That's all that matters."

"Yeah, if it weren't for you," Alec replied. "I was useless in there, and I'm a trained fighter."

Magnus raised his eyebrows. "Trained fighter?" he asked.

Alec shrugged. "Let's just say that certain circumstances have made me weary. I wanted to be ready in case those circumstances arose again. However, tonight just proved how useless I really am. I couldn't even protect myself from a damn teacher."

Magnus wondered if the circumstances that Alec spoke of where his kidnapping. It would make sense that he would train himself to fight in case the kidnapper returned, especially since according to police records no one was arrested for taking him all those years ago. In Alec's mind, his assailant was still out there. Magnus didn't know whether thinking that was better or worse than the truth.

"Let's not forget that this 'teacher' was a murderer and a sexual predator," Magnus said. "You fought him off. If you hadn't there wouldn't have been an Alexander to save when I arrived."

Alec scoffed, still unconvinced. Anything short of perfect was unacceptable, and the fact that his wire got caught and Xavier nearly had him was causing Alec to, bizarrely, blame himself. "It's Alec," he reminded Magnus.

Magnus' eyes glistened in the moonlight as he grinned. "I know."

Alec frowned. He stared at Magnus with confusion written clearly across his face. Magnus knew that the younger boy was trying to figure him out and was having a hard time doing it, too. Many a people had tried and failed to do the same. The night cast shadows across Alec's face, pronouncing his features and making the blue in his eyes pop. His skin was paled by the rays of the moon, leaving Magnus almost breathless. This man was beautiful.

"Have we met before?" Alec asked, squinting his eyes as if it were going to help him see better. "I could swear that I know your face."

Magnus shook his head. "Nope," he lied. "The first time I saw you was in that fountain with Imogen's body."

Alec didn't look convinced, despite Magnus' talent at being a pathological liar. Hundreds of years of lying and you begin to develop a knack for it, so it was kind of surprising that Alec had seen through it. Alec didn't press the issue further, though, for he didn't have much substance to stand a disagreement on other than a strange sense of déjà vu every time he looked at Magnus' face.

"Sebastian is going to kill me when he finds out what happened," Alec muttered, rubbing the back of his neck with a wince. "He hates me getting into trouble like this. I don't even know how I'm going to begin explaining what happened."

Magnus stuffed his hands into his coat pockets, frowning thoughtfully. "You don't have to tell him what happened, you know," he said. "Since the tape was destroyed there's no evidence of me or you having been in there at all."

Alec shook his head. "Sebastian and I don't lie to each other," he said. He looked at his feet, chewing on his bottom lip anxiously. "There's too much to hide if we did."

Magnus thought that was a weird way of thinking. 'Too much to hide' . . . What did that mean? Was Alec worried that if he began keeping secrets from his boyfriend then he would begin hiding everything? Or did he mean that he had to tell Sebastian the truth because he had lied too much in the past?

Judging by the guilt in Alec's dark azure eyes as he brushed his hair out of his eyes, Magnus realised it was the latter.

"How did you meet this Sebastian fella, anyway?" Magnus was mildly horrified by the jealous twinge in his voice as he asked Alec this question.

"At the Clave, actually," Alec answered, not noticing the envy in Magnus' voice because he was relieved to have the conversation move along from truth and lies. "He's my boss' brother."

Magnus nodded, forcing the green monster that was spawning inside him into submission. "Serious?" he asked.

Alec shrugged. "At the stage of living together, so I guess so."

Magnus raised an interested eyebrow. "You don't sound so sure."

The younger boy flushed and shook his head. "I am," he said unconvincingly. He met Magnus' eyes, a fond smile growing on his face. "I love him."

For reasons Magnus couldn't explain, those three words felt like a sucker punch to his stomach. He still didn't understand how Alexander had only come into his life a couple of days prior and had managed to encapsulate Magnus' attention and concern without even trying. Alec didn't vie for attention, in fact quite the opposite; he repelled it more than he enticed it. So why was Magnus so rapt with him? The hybrid couldn't understand it.

"Alec!" A girl was approaching them. Magnus instantly recognized her as Isabelle Lightwood. She had only been a baby when Magnus had first encountered the Lightwoods, but he was still able to discern her as a grown woman from what he saw of her as a baby. When she reached them, she hugged Alec. "Congrats on the big gig, bro. I mean, it ain't good for that Xavier fella but he deserves to burn in hell anyway."

"Thanks, Isabelle," Alec replied, his voice relaxed and content, like his sister's presence had the same effect as a calming agent for him. "What are you doing here? It's two in the morning!"

"I was at Simon's," Isabelle said flippantly. "He and Clary had one of their BFF spats over anime or whatever and he needed me. We were watching the Clave when I saw you talking live and I knew I had to come down and say congratulations."

Isabelle released her brother from the hug, her dark eyes immediately landing on Magnus. "Hey," she said, "I'm Isabelle, this frumpy lump's sister." She stuck her arm out, revealing a bracelet made to look like a snake wound around her wrist and forearm.

"Pleasure to meet you Isabelle," Magnus answered, shaking the girl's hand. Isabelle had a strong grip, her slender fingers holding more strength than they seemed.

"So what are you here for? I know Alec is reporting the suicide and shiz but what's your gig? Police officer?"

"Private Investigator."

Isabelle raised her eyebrows. "Don't get many of those anymore. To be honest I didn't even know that was a real job. I thought it was invented by movie companies to give their protagonists reasons to be aloof and alone . . . Not that you're aloof or alone at all, of course, I'm sure you have plenty of nice people in your compa"-

"Isabelle," Alec interrupted quickly, turning red with embarrassment.

"What? I'm just talking," Isabelle insisted.

"More like rambling."

Magnus shook his head and chuckled, amused simply by watching the two siblings interact. He didn't know what it was-whether it be the way they still bickered like children or that connection that Magnus couldn't shake from when they were children-but seeing the Lightwood kids all grown up and happy made him feel a bit sentimental. More assurance that he had never thought he would get in regards to the child he still felt responsible for.

"Isabelle, we need to talk," Alec said seriously.

Isabelle looked at her brother, confused. "About what?"

"About what happened in there with Xavier."

Isabelle straightened up; joking façade gone. "Sure," she said.

Alec smiled at Magnus. "Excuse us for a second."

"No problem," Magnus smiled back. "Take all the time you need."

Magnus watched as Alec led Isabelle away a few paces until they were out of earshot (or so he thought since he didn't realise that he was in the presence of a vampire hybrid). Alec started to explain to his sister how he had gone into the warehouse and how he had been attacked by Xavier. Isabelle listened, concern written all over her face, her hands immediately taking her brothers' and holding them tight.

Magnus briefly wondered why Alec told Isabelle at all. It wouldn't be included in the report because there was no evidence after the tape got destroyed in the scuffle. Alec clearly didn't keep secrets from his sister, and they seemed to be very close to one another so it wasn't that much of a stretch to believe that he would tell her the truth (or what he believed to be the truth anyway). And just by watching Isabelle hug Alec when he finished telling her what happened, holding him so close like her body could act like a shield to protect him, Magnus concluded that the Lightwoods were fiercely protective of one another.

Deciding to leave them to it, Magnus turned and began to walk away. By the time the Lightwoods finished talking, he was already gone from sight. Magnus wondered if his path would cross with Alec's again soon. He partially hoped it would, but then also hoped that it wouldn't at the same time. For continuing to be in Alec's life may put the younger man in danger of remembering what happened when he was kidnapped. And if he remembered what happened when he was kidnapped, a lot of things were at stake. Alec's own sanity being one of those things.

For the first time Magnus had seen Alec had not been when he was standing in the fountain after Imogen's murder. The first time Magnus saw Alec was when the human man had been only a child, standing fearfully in a warehouse with tears streaking down his face . . .

. . . And with Camille's hands digging into his small shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi guys! I've been overwhelmed by the kind reviews and support I've been receiving for Moonlight! Every comment and kudos means the world to me and I want to thank each and every one of you for your continued support of my writing! I have many chapters pre-written for Moonlight so my updating will hopefully become quite regular! ^_^
> 
> You can follow me on any of my social medias if you like:  
> https://www.instagram.com/erinluuvsbooks94/  
> https://twitter.com/BBerrychills94
> 
> And if the Shadowhunters hiatus is becoming too much to bear, maybe check out my episode review videos on my Youtube channel:  
> youtube.com/c/ErinCurranHgtmigirlxx
> 
> Thank you again for your continued love and support! I'm itching to keep going with this story! ^_^


	8. Troubled Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A familiar face from Magnus' past is thrown back into the hybrid's life unexpectedly. There are no fond memories connected with this man and could endanger the sanctity of Magnus' secret all together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Remember anything inclosed in ~ is a flashback! Does anyone know how to make italics work on this site anyway? If anyone knows let me know please it would be a massive help! (:

Chapter Eight

Magnus snapped his fingers, setting the top of his drink alight with bright blue flame. He sighed extravagantly and plucked the glass from his counter, spinning on his heel and heading to his couch to watch the latest episode of Real Housewives of NYC. Yes, he was a sucker for trashy television, even immortals weren't immune to the addictive allure of bitchy housewives.

Chairman Meow mewled unhappily when Magnus sat down; clearly annoyed at being unseated. Always having been an attention whore, however, the cat didn't pause before clamouring into his owner's lap and nuzzling his head into his stomach. Magnus laid a ringed hand on the feline's back, stroking him slowly while sipping his drink. God, who invented adverts anyways? Nobody liked them, so why were they constantly on screen? Magnus rolled his neck tiredly and lifted his hand, jerking his wrist to forward through the commercials. They were racing by in a blur of colour and static, when something captured the hybrid's attention.

The brief news casts that always aired on the television before programmes began always seemed pointless to Magnus. Unless something major had happened, nobody tended to give a toss about what was going on. And since it wasn't entertainment news and Magnus wouldn't be getting any gossip out of it, the entire premise of the five-minute news just seemed even more nonsensical. Save it for six o'clock, that's what he always said. These sorts of things were always what got Ragnor worked up, promptly leading to Magnus' voicemail getting clogged up with panicked rambling.

And no, Magnus didn't purposely ignore the calls per say, he just didn't get to them immediately.

A familiar face flipped onto the screen and Magnus' hand froze. He jerked his fingers backwards to rewind and snapped his fingers outwards to freeze.

It was him.

Malachi.

Jaw clenched to quell his rage, Magnus let his fingers relax, allowing the footage to play on at its regular pace.

"Malachi Dieudonne was arrested in the early 90's for the alleged murder of his wife," the reporter on the news explained while the footage of Malachi walking free played. "Now, twenty years later, he has finally gained parole and has been welcomed into the open arms of the community again, many of whom have been pleading his innocence since the arrest."

Magnus cursed and stood up, not caring about unsettling the Chairman again. He downed his drink in one, the burn in his throat not satisfying enough to quell his rage. Parole? How in the name of Lilith did that psychotic man gain parole?!

~"Mr Bane, you've got to help me," Mrs Dieudonne pleaded. "My husband . . . He . . . He . . ." The sobbing woman put her head in her hands, shivering as she recalled the abuse she had been put through. "He's been hurting me for years. I fear he's going to kill me."

Magnus flexed his jaw, bitterness and spite washing over him as he watched Mrs Dieudonne break down right before his eyes. He didn't understand how anyone could lift a hand against a woman; lift a hand against anyone for that matter. "What do you purpose I do, Mrs Dieudonne?" he asked, a dark lilt to his voice.

Lifting her head from her hands, green eyes gleaming from the tears that had gathered there. "Anything. I don't care. Just as long as you can stop him hurting me."

Magnus could see how desperate this woman had become, and how afraid her husband had made her. It made him angry. Very angry. He didn't like seeing people hurt or afraid, especially when such hurt and fear was preventable. There were many things that Magnus despised with an avid passion, and domestic abuse was one of them. "Anything?" he clarified.

Mrs Dieudonne nodded frantically. "Anything."

"Consider it done."~

Magnus was never a worry wally-that was Ragnor's job and he did it enough for the both of them-but this particular turn in events was causing him to panic slightly. For Malachi Dieudonne had been a grave mistake. One Magnus had always regretted, but believed he could avoid due to the man's imprisonment. If there was a list of 'Times Magnus Bane has royally fucked up over the years' what happened between him and Malachi would definitely be in the top five.

When Mrs Dieudonne had come to him, he only been starting off as a Private Investigator. A particular dispute had separated him from Camille and he was, for the first time ever, alone as a hybrid. He was far from a fledgling; Camille had trained him into a vampire and he had been competent for many years prior. However, he was still bitter. Without Camille in the picture, it made his turning into a vampire even more useless. She had turned him for the simple reason that she wanted them to be the same, and then she was forced from his life. Magnus was alone.

Alone. Bitter. Angry.

Not a good combination.

Magnus' first years as a Private Investigator were not years he was proud of. His resentment made him selfish. Selfish almost to the point of self-destruction. He didn't care for rules or regulations, in fact he barely cared about anything. All he knew was that he was furious. All he knew was that he needed something to take this rage out on.

That's when he began the PI business. He thought that he could take his fury out on those who deserved it. He thought he would be able to do this without detection. As a warlock, he knew his boundaries, as a hybrid he had believed he was invincible.

Mrs Dieudonne was the first woman to ever cross the threshold of his office. She had been so scared; so upset; so petrified . . . Magnus knew how to catch out a liar, as a professional liar himself the signs weren't that hard to spot, and Mrs Dieudonne's fear had been genuine. Whatever sort of man her husband was; he was not a good person. In fact, Magnus would go as far to say that he was an evil man. An evil, self-centred, manipulative man.

And Magnus was going to take him down.

At least, that's what he had believed.

~Magnus had been following the man for a couple of miles. It was dead of night, and he could feel the moon against his skin; revitalising his energy. Malachi was heading for his car; which Magnus had watched him park a couple of hours previous. Due to the late hour, Magnus knew that they nobody would be around to see what happened. He could kill the man quick and still be able to get a couple of hours of shut eye.

Malachi was just reaching for his car door when Magnus struck. The hybrid thrust his arm outwards, freezing the human's arm in mid-air. Malachi freaked out-naturally-and spun around just in time for Magnus to get a good angle to punch the bastard up the chin as he approached. The force threw Malachi backwards into the car, blood spraying from his mouth like a fountain.

The mundane immediately fought back. He tried to land some punches on Magnus but the vampire was too fast, blocking his blows easily and ducking beneath every strike he tried to land. This only enraged Malachi further, and Magnus could see through the man's short fuse like transparent glass. There was no denying that this man was easily angered. But, then again, that could have been because Magnus just pounded his face in and had deflected every punch he'd tried to return.

When the fight began to bore Magnus, he grabbed Malachi's throat and slammed him against the opposite wall. Teeth having snapped out during the scuffle, brought out by antagonism and wrath, Magnus pulled his lip back and growled. The look on Malachi's face was comical. The face normally twisted with fury was now twisted with fear.

"What are you?" the human gasped, scrabbling at his throat in a desperate attempt to breathe.

"This is for your wife," Magnus hissed back.

He had been seconds away from ripping Malachi's throat out when a crash made him jump. It sounded like a trash can being knocked over; like someone had tripped over it in the distance. Magnus snapped his head around to look behind him, afraid that he had been spotted.

This was all the time Malachi needed.

Malachi struck Magnus in the stomach with his knee with all the power he could muster. Now, if the hybrid had been prepared for such a blow it wouldn't have been that big a deal, however in his momentary distraction, the strike was enough to wind him. Magnus released Malachi unwillingly, doubling over in pain. Malachi grabbed the opportunity and planted his boot into Magnus' shoulder, pushing him and, as the violent ape that he was, stamped down hard on the winded man's head, successfully knocking him out.

If Magnus had been merely a warlock, such a blow would have killed him. Thankfully, his vampire traits hardened his bones and his skull, but the fact that he had been knocked out by a mundane was shameful.

By the time Magnus had regained consciousness, Malachi was long gone.~

Magnus had regretted his decision to attack Malachi ever since. It was the slap in the face he needed to grow the fuck up and act his age, and if he could go back and stop himself he would have. But it was better to have discovered it early on rather than later on, and thankfully he had never gotten the opportunity to turn his bitterness into murderous tendencies. However, he had always been minutely aware that there was a human out there that was aware of what he was, all because he stupidly revealed himself out of spite.

Not to mention a couple of days later Mrs Dieudonne 'committed suicide'. She was found in her car with a gun in her hand, a gunshot wound blasted up her chin. Magnus knew it was bullshit from the moment he heard it. It was obvious that Malachi had killed his wife because of what Magnus had done. Crippling guilt didn't half cover what Magnus felt when he laid eyes on Mrs Dieudonne's body at the scene, and he swore to Lilith that he would fight to his dying breath to get justice for her and get that psychotic man she called a husband slung into prison. Many didn't believe the accusation of murder, and simply brushed it off as suicide, but Magnus didn't let the case die. And, eventually, after a lot of fighting and gathering of evidence, he was able to bring the case to court.

Malachi was found guilty of murder.

The idea of parole had never crossed Magnus' mind, even with all the Dieudonne Sympathiser's out there who were convinced that the man was innocent. Now the entire ordeal had come back to bite him in the ass, and he was going to have to sort it out before Malachi revealed something he shouldn't.

"Journalist Maria Looper made her name when she wrote the bestselling book 'The Wronged Man' based on Mr Dieudonne's story . . ."

Of course the online reporter for the story was none other than Alexander Lightwood. Could Magnus catch a break at all today?

Running his fingers through his hair; pacing around the room; and chewing on his fingernails, Magnus listened to the report nonetheless, knowing that he had no choice but to listen. On a subconscious level, he knew that their paths were going to cross again, Magnus had just pointedly decided to ignore it. Sometimes he could be wrong. Not often but sometimes.

This was not one of those times.

"Maria believed since day 1 that the death of Malachi's wife had been a suicide and not a murder," Alec explained, seeming to be growing more comfortable in front of the camera as his stories got more and more air time on the Clave. "She's been at his side ever since, and was waiting for him on the other side as he was released on parole."

Magnus chalked that name into his head. Maria Looper. It could be important later.

"The case of Mrs Dieudonne's death was going to be treated as a suicide, but P.I Magnus Bane was convinced otherwise, and fought to have Malachi brought up on charges of murder."

Magnus froze and glared at his computer screen. "Goddamnit, Alexander, you're too good at your job," he cursed. Magnus then proceeded to be horrified as an old picture of him from the 90's was called up onto the screen for the report. "Oh my lord, is this 'shit on Bane' day? Look at my hair, did I really wear it like that?!" Magnus covered his face with his hands. "This is a disaster."

The Chairman meowed unhappily and Magnus scowled. "Don't look at me like that, we all make mistakes!" he barked. The cat cocked his head innocently and glanced forlornly at his empty bowl. Oh. He was just hungry. Magnus sighed and waved his hand flippantly, filling the animal's bowl up with some tuna. Chairman Meow jumped off the sofa and plodded over happily, immediately burying his face into the bowl.

"There will be a book signing for 'The Wronged Man' tomorrow evening at the Summit Hotel," said Alec. "Both Maria and Malachi will attend for a Q&A."

This book signing was definitely Magnus' first port of call . . .

". . . And I will be there reporting live for the Clave. This is Alexander Lightwood, signing off."

Of course. Of course Alec would be there. Why wouldn't he be there?

Magnus mildly wondered if life had it in for him on this particular day.

~xXx~

Magnus had a strategy. He could get in and out easy without running into Alec. All he needed was to take care of Malachi. Swear the man into silence, with the threat of return if he dared breathe a word about what he was. Not only would it endanger Magnus but it could endanger the sanctity of the secret of the vampires' existence as well if Malachi started blabbing. This was the sort of thing Ragnor always got his panties in a twist about, except he usually did it when it was unnecessary. If he knew about what had happened between Magnus and Malachi . . . Never mind his panties being in twist, Ragnor's entire body would have turned into a pretzel.

If Malachi dared tempt fate, Magnus would have to do what he had originally intended to do all those years ago. He wouldn't like it, but there would be no choice. He'd have to take care of Malachi and call in the Cleaners to make it look like an accident occurred. To be perfectly honest, Malachi would probably have been better off staying in prison . . .

Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that. Hopefully, Malachi would have the sense to listen to Magnus and keep his mouth shut.

Magnus kept his head down as he weaved through the people at the signing. Most of these people were Dieudonne Sympathisers, and were probably all too familiar with the story of why, when and who got him chucked into the slammer. Maybe he should have applied a glamour of some sort . . . But then Magnus had never been a fan of glamours . . . Hopefully, most of these people would have the common sense to remember that the Magnus Bane who threw Malachi into prison had been in his mid-twenties (or at least looked that way) when he prosecuted him, so there was no possible way that the Magnus at the signing could be the same man. No matter how striking the resemblance.

"Magnus?"

Magnus jumped with surprise, twirling on his heel and stepping backwards at the sight of Alec standing in front of him. Oh, good job, I mean, you went a whole, what? Five minutes without running into him? "Alexander?" he gaped. How did he manage to find him in such a crowded room?

"What are you doing here?" Alec asked.

"I, uh . . ."

"Surely you're not here to support Malachi," Alec continued. He frowned. "Unless, of course, you disagreed with your father . . ."

Magnus blinked. "My . . . father?"

Alec's frown deepened. He cocked his head. "Yeah," he said, confused, "your father. The man who prosecuted Malachi? After investigating the case I figured you were Magnus Bane Jr. or something."

Magnus exhaled, relief washing over him in a wave. "Yes, that's right," he said. "My father. I wouldn't necessarily say I disagree with him . . ."

"Saying something like that here is a death sentence," Alec whispered in warning. He scratched the rune on his neck, and Magnus found his mind drifting, wondering if they still hurt Alec or if they had been lulled into numbness by years of pain conditioning. "Why throw yourself into a pit of Dieudonne Sympathisers if you agree with your father and . . ." Alec's eyebrows lifted to his hairline and he leaned forward, studying Magnus's face with slight shock . . . "Are almost his twin?"

Magnus shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "I'm a rebel that way?" he tried.

Alec snorted. "Aye, I can totally see that." His blue eyes softened and he gestured for Magnus to follow him to the corner of the room. "Where did you disappear to that night? When I said I needed a minute to speak to Isabelle I didn't mean that you had to leave . . . I just wanted to explain what really happened with Xavier to her."

Magnus could swear he saw worry glittering in Alec's gaze. He thought he had driven Magnus away by walking away with Isabelle to talk with her privately. Magnus felt a pang in his chest. He wasn't entirely sure, although he speculated that it could have been because every time he thought about Alec caring and worrying about Magnus the way he cared and worried about Alec always made this annoying bloom of warmth grow in the pit of his stomach. When you know someone for so long, it's only natural to feel a little bit attached.

Magnus had to figure out a way to get Alec out of his life again. He had survived sixteen years without knowing what was going on in Alec's life, and he knew that the more he became aware of, the more intrigued and attached he would grow to become. And that wouldn't do. Not at all.

~"He's ours now, Magnus, isn't that wonderful?"~

"Magnus?"

Magnus snapped out of his reverie, having been so lost in thought that he nearly completely forgot what he was doing. Alec's hand fell back limply by his side, clearly having just waved it in front of his eyes. "Are you alright?" Alec frowned.

"Uh, yeah," Magnus said quickly. "About my disappearing, um, duty always calls, y'know?"

Alec narrowed his eyes with disbelief. "Hmm," he replied. He was twirling a pen around between his fingers of his free hand and Magnus noticed a notepad sticking out of his back pocket. Always prepared. Always ready for anything.

"Where's your camera man?" Magnus randomly asked, diverting Alec's attention from his suspicion.

Alec looked over his shoulder at the hordes of people that milled around the room. "Somewhere in that," he sighed. "If I had to guess, though, probably at the buffet table."

Magnus chuckled. "Of course. Where everyone wishes to be."

Alec grinned and shook his head. "Naturally."

A woman approached them, holding a book under her arm. The expression she wore was rather disconcerted and once she arrived, she only addressed Alec. "Alec, what is he doing here?" she asked, confusion all over her voice.

"Who? Magnus?" Alec raised his eyebrows at Magnus, not sure how to answer the question himself.

"I am here purely on business," Magnus answered for him, trying not to be offended that some random woman didn't want him there.

"Magnus, this is Maria Looper, author of 'The Wronged Man'," Alec said carefully.

Maria grunted and glared daggers at Magnus. Somebody mustn't be over what happened all those years ago. How did this woman even know Malachi? What made her so convinced of his innocence? Did she have some special insight that Magnus wasn't aware of?

"What? Like your father?" Maria demanded, her eyes alight with rage.

"My father's ventures were none of my business," Magnus replied diplomatically. It was very odd referring to his past self as his father. "I am here on different business . . ."

That's when he saw Malachi.

Weaving through the crowd, wearing the biggest grin on his face. Malachi's happiness made Magnus' stomach churn as the memory of his wife lying in the car with the gunshot wound bleeding over her dress came to mind. Magnus' expression darkened and he looked back to Alec and Maria. One was observing him with worry and confusion, the other was openly glaring with nothing but hate in her eyes.

"Which I must attend to now, if you excuse me."

As Magnus weaved around Alec and Maria, the anger he felt all those years ago fell upon him like a gigantic piano. He wasn't going to kill Malachi, especially not in such a public place, but the vengeful emotions he had felt when he first realised that the man had murdered his wife returned to him full force. It would take a lot not to lay a finger on him.

Magnus followed Malachi to the bathroom. It was thankfully empty, the white walls and floor reflecting their likeness everywhere. Malachi stood at the sinks, and instantly saw Magnus' reflection in the gigantic mirror before him. He only looked momentarily surprised before an ugly, sick grin grew on his face.

"I knew you'd come," he said.

"Perfect. So you know what I'm here for," Magnus answered sourly.

"Of course." Malachi turned around, green eyes sparkling with mirth. "You are here to warn me off. 'Don't reveal what I am, Malachi! I'll be burned at the stake if anyone finds out!'."

Magnus narrowed his eyes. Burned at the stake . . . ?

"That's right. I've done my research," Malachi grinned. "Do you really think I spent my time in prison sitting on my hands doing nothing? I have been researching your kind since the first day they locked me in a cell. I know what's myth, and what's not."

"Congratulations," Magnus replied sarcastically. "Do you want a medal?"

"I want pay back," Malachi snapped. "For what you did."

Magnus rolled his eyes. When they landed on Malachi once more, that anger rose up inside him again. "You deserved everything that came to you."

Malachi placed a hand on his chest, pretending to be offended. "For when you brutally attacked me in the streets like the demonic bastard you are!" he replied.

"You're very dramatic," Magnus commented flatly. "Just don't breathe a word about what I am, or that we actually exist, or it will be the last word you ever speak." This wasn't an empty threat. Magnus wouldn't necessarily end up killing Malachi himself, every vampire in LA would be on Malachi's back before he could utter the word 'oops'.

"What? Like the last word Alya ever spoke was 'Don't'?" Malachi asked, squinting with evil interest.

"I'm warning you," Magnus snapped, the mention of Malachi's wife triggering him. He moved to step forward, pointing a threatening finger, when Malachi suddenly lunged forward and stabbed him in the stomach.

Immediately the paralysis took over. Magnus stared at Malachi with wide eyes, shock overwhelming his system. Malachi grinned, his face inches from the hybrid's. "It doesn't kill, just paralyses, am I right?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "I always keep a stake on person ever since I learned that. You aren't in the position to be giving orders, demon. You stay away from me, or you'll be the one paying your do's. Understand?"

Magnus was going to tear this bastard apart if he didn't remove the stake from his stoma-

As if hearing Magnus' thoughts, Malachi tore the stake out. Before Magnus could even react, the man stepped backwards and, without any warning, smashed his head against the glass mirror above the sink. Magnus stepped back as the glass splintered and the shards rained down over the sink, clutching his stomach as the stake wound healed instantaneously, completely baffled by Malachi's erratic behaviour. Had he lost his mind?!

Malachi turned around, blood pouring from his forehead and, like somebody flipped a switch in him, started screaming like a maniac. He pointed at Magnus as people began to pour into the bathroom, and shouted, "You stay away from me!"

His sympathisers flocked to him like birds while Magnus could only gape. Was he actually pretending that he just . . .? How had he not anticipated this? Magnus had known that Malachi would try to pull something, but as he stared at the partygoers who were glaring at him with animosity and hate, he realised that he hadn't expected something so violent.

Maria burst in and cut through the crowd like a knife. She zipped to Malachi and gasped. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed, immediately at the wound with a tissue. She turned on Magnus and glared, "What are you? Some sort of animal?!"

Magnus had nothing to say in response. He had to get out of here. He turned around and pushed everyone out of his way, not sure what else to do other than make a hasty exit. He had warned Malachi; the idiot couldn't say that he hadn't. Whatever he did next was on his own head.

As Magnus made for the exit, someone caught his eye. He only turned on instinct, and found himself staring into the face of Alec, who stood at the bathroom door overlooking the scene. He didn't look disgusted, like everyone else, or scared. He simply looked confused. "Magnus?" he frowned, blue eyes wide with perplexion.

Magnus couldn't face Alec. Not right now. Not after what Malachi had just made out he had done. He fled past Alec and left the building, hoping without hope that the Lightwood man would understand that he was not the man Malachi was going to make him out to be.

Everyone made mistakes in their past, Magnus was just unlucky in the sense that he was so old; so ancient; so decrypted; that every mistake he made haunted him for what felt like forever. He wasn't the same person he was a decade ago; even a century ago; and he liked to think that with every passing year he improved himself just that little bit so he could say he was better today than he was yesterday.

Now he was helpless to suffer from the mistakes he made when he was stupid and naive.

Magnus didn't know what to do.


	9. Framed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus tries to relax and not think about Malachi, but the psychopath isn't as keen to do the same.

Chapter Nine

Ragnor was surprisingly relaxed as Magnus relayed his interaction with Malachi. Magnus had expected the green hybrid to slide off the rails when he discovered that there was a human out there who knew about their kind. The way he had behaved when Imogen had been murdered. But, no, he was shockingly docile about the ordeal.

"Don't you realise that this man will simply get sectioned if he starts ranting about vampires?" Ragnor asked, leaning back in his seat and folding his arms. They were in Magnus' apartment, for Ragnor was having his own place redecorated.

"Didn't you see the type of following Xavier got?" Magnus replied, pushing his fingers constantly through Chairman Meow's fur to keep his hands occupied. "His class became a cult of brainwashed children. Who knows what someone of Malachi's persuasion is capable of. Aren't you even a little bit worried?"

"I think you're simply fretting because this particular nutjob is too close to home for you," Ragnor answered with a shrug.

"I'm fretting because he has done his research," Magnus answered pointedly. "This isn't some crazed human who thinks garlic makes us melt and they can crack a leg off a chair and kill us. He knew a stake paralysed us. He knew that fire killed us. How on earth he found that out, I don't know. But I don't really want to find out. I want him dealt with."

Ragnor sighed, threading his fingers together to form a steeple and resting his nose against them. "We can't get the LA clan out on him just yet, you know that," he said. "It would take him to start physically speaking out about us or murdering us for sport for them to get involved."

Magnus hated to admit it, but Ragnor was right. The LA vampire clan don't go out against humans for the fun of it, they need a genuine reason to make them disappear. Thus far, all Malachi had done was make a so far empty threat. If the clan went out for every human that claimed they knew everything about vampires, then there would be too much suspicion due to the amount of disappearances that would occur.

Maybe Magnus was worrying too much. He had believed that his history with Malachi was going to remain as history, but now it had been forced into the present again. It was way too close to home for Magnus' liking, and he wished that there was a way he could go back in time and slap his former self before he could do anything detrimental.

"Malachi is nothing but a sad excuse for a man who believes he is worth more than he actually is," Ragnor assured, heaving himself out of his seat and clicking his fingers. Magnus' television flickered to life, broadcasting the newest episode of America's Next Top Model. "Try not to think about it. You'll give yourself grey hairs."

Magnus' hand flew to his hair, immediately horrified by the very idea.

Ragnor laughed at his friend's mortified expression and slapped his shoulder encouragingly. "Everything will be alright, my friend, I promise."

With that, Ragnor disappeared.

Magnus slumped into his seat, trying to empty his brain of all thoughts relating to Malachi, and tried to focus on the Top Model episode. He struggled, for his brain seemed to be going around in circles, replaying the incident with Malachi all those years ago in an endless stream. It was like when you do something embarrassing, and you can't stop thinking about it for the rest of the day. Except, instead of this being embarrassing, it was just stupid, and instead of the rest of the day it was the rest of the decade.

Magnus was relieved when his phone rang. He didn't care if it was one of those PPI salesmen on the other end, he was going to drag out the conversation as long as possible to keep his brain off his sheer stupidity.

"Hello?"

"Magnus?"

Okay, maybe not. Magnus nearly dropped the phone, he was so stunned. "Alexander? How the heck did you get my number?"

"Come on, Magnus, I'm an investigative reporter," Alec said, a smirk evident in his tone. "It was a piece of cake."

Baffled; intrigued; and a bit amazed; Magnus couldn't fight the smile that grew on his face at simply hearing Alec's voice. "New question then, why are you calling me?"

"Seriously? You smashed Malachi Dieudonne's head against a wall and fled the signing and you're asking me why I'm calling?" Alec laughed.

Magnus cringed. "So that did look as bad as I thought it did," he said.

Alec snorted. "Just a bit. What got into you? Is that really why you went to the signing? Just to attack Malachi? I never took you for the violent type."

"Not unprovoked anyways," Magnus answered. He blew a raspberry, causing the hair that had fallen over his eyes to fly upwards momentarily before going back into place. "Would you believe me if I told you that I didn't smash his head against a wall?"

"Oh, and I suppose he smashed his own head against a wall?" Alec joked.

"Actually, yes. He did."

There was a pause on the other line.

"What?" Alec eventually said, confusion evident in his tone.

Magnus sighed and straightened up in his seat, unsettling the Chairman a little. "Malachi has a vendetta against my family because my father put him in prison. He wanted people to think that I attacked him. It would be easy to believe, because of the history between him and my family, and it would make him look more innocent in relation to the murder of his wife if I had."

"So you think he did murder Alya?" Alec asked.

"I know he murdered Alya," Magnus said firmly.

Another pause. "How do I know you're not lying?" asked Alec.

Magnus dug his fingers a little too hard into the Chairman's back. The cat screeched and jumped off the hybrid's lap, sulking off to the sofa to where he could sit in peace. "Because if it had been me, Malachi would have been hospitalised," he said.

"Charming," Alec replied, no humour in his voice.

"He needs pulled up for the charges he's been cleared of," Magnus continued. "As long as I know that that man is walking the streets, my skin doesn't fit right. I feel like bugs are crawling through my veins."

"Uncomfortable," Alec commented, again no humour in his voice. "I can help you. Or at least try to."

Magnus blinked, unable to hide the surprise in his voice as he asked, "You believe me?"

"Sure, I do," Alec answered. "I know you better than I know Malachi."

Magnus' smile was so wide it hurt his cheeks.

"Text me your address and we can talk about it better in person," Alec said.

It wasn't until Magnus had hung up the phone and texted Alec his building and apartment number that he realised that he was supposed to be trying to get out of Alexander's life, not delve further into it. How on earth was he so bad at doing this one simple thing?

Fifteen minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Magnus hated to admit that he was excited at the prospect of seeing Alec again. Any opportunity to interact with the boy gave him goosebumps, for not the purest of reasons. Alexander Lightwood was a beautiful anomaly who, despite how hard Magnus tried to push him out, thrust himself back in again twice as hard. Magnus flicked his hand as we walked to the door, tidying his apartment with a simple twist of the wrist. He vaguely heard the Chairman screech again, but concluded that the feline would be okay without even having to look back.

All of the previous excitement dropped like a stone when Magnus opened the door and saw Malachi Dieudonne standing in the hallway.

"What the hell do you want?" Magnus snapped, the bugs in his veins morphing into ugly maggots. Anyone who knew what it looked like would be able to see the evil in his eyes. Magnus didn't bother asking how the man knew where he lived, he was sure Malachi had connections on the outside. "I told you to stay away."

"You really thought that was going to be the end of it?" Malachi challenged, raising his eyebrows. "I'm only getting started."

"You'd watch your step if you knew what was good for you," Magnus threw back acidly.

"I'm going to bring you down, Bane," Malachi smirked. "This is my revenge for what you did."

Magnus rolled his eyes, leaning against the door tiredly. "You got everything you deserved," he said. "In fact, I don't think you got enough for what you did to Alya."

Malachi was amused by Magnus' words, the mention of his dead wife causing a malevolent gleam to spark in his gaze. "How long can a demon like you survive in prison before they lose their mind? No blood banks in the slammer. Trust me, I've been there. You'd be driven mad with hunger, am I right? Start snacking on cellmates? Unable to control yourself as you expose your true identity to the entire prison block?"

Magnus glowered. "Where are you going with this?" he asked wearily.

"Can't you see?" Malachi laughed. "This is my plan." He tapped his head, where a bandage was plastered to his forehead from where he had smashed himself against the bathroom wall. "I'm going to send you to prison, where you will have no choice but to expose to the masses that your kind exists. I'm not going to expose you, you are."

"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" Magnus frowned, confusion and concern creeping into his tone.

"Oh it's simple really." Malachi produced a mobile phone from his pocket, which he single handedly unlocked. He opened the callbook and typed in 911.

"What on earth are you doi"-

Magnus was cut off as Malachi whipped a gun out from his back pocket and shot himself in the stomach. Magnus jumped backwards, initially thinking the man was going to try to shoot him, but once the realisation of what the psychopath had done settled in, he gaped in horror. Magnus' blood turned to ice in his veins and he figured out a second later what the maniac planned to do.

"911, what's your emergency?" A female voice asked on the other end of Malachi's phone.

"I've just been shot!" Malachi shouted, as his phone was now on the floor. He dropped it when the bullet tore through his body. He was leaning against the opposite wall, slowly sliding to the ground and leaving a blood trail behind him. Malachi's dark eyes locked with Magnus' and, despite his intense pain, he smirked. "I've just been shot by Magnus Bane!"


	10. Hiding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the authorities on Magnus' tail for the shooting of Malachi, where can he go to hide?

Chapter Ten

It seemed that Malachi had been planning this for quite some time. Magnus hadn't thought to question why the man had been wearing gloves right until the moment he whipped out the gun and shot himself. It was so that there would be no trace of his fingerprints on the weapon, and it would look like Magnus had wiped the weapon down before escaping.

"You're insane," Magnus snarled at the convict. "You always have been! This why you need locked up!"

"It's not me that's going to be getting locked up," Malachi grinned. His face crinkled with agony and he grunted, clutching his stomach harder. A bright red patch of blood was growing against his white shirt, soaking through the flimsy material and coating his fingers. Magnus could smell it from here, and he was tempted to do away with the stain of a man once and for all by draining him. That was the mistake he had made all those years ago, though, and he refused to do the same thing again.

He only had one option.

Magnus spun around and slammed the door shut, leaving Malachi to bleed out (if he was lucky) outside in the hallway. He crossed the room in barely five strides, reaching his kitchen in a matter of seconds. Magnus ducked beneath his islet and pulled out as many sachets of blood he could hold. He dumped them onto the top of the island and summoned his trench coat from the bedroom.

"You can't run from this!" Malachi shouted from the other side of the door.

Magnus quickly shrugged his coat on, grabbing the blood packets Catarina gave him from the hospital and stuffing them into the massive pockets of his coat. He clicked his fingers as he ran to the window, throwing the pane upwards in one smooth movement. Magnus slung a leg out and turned to look at his apartment. Hopefully he'd be able to come back. Hopefully he wouldn't have to go into hiding again.

The Chairman cocked his head in curiosity at his owner hanging out the window. Magnus sighed and flicked his wrist, setting a timer on the animal's bowl so that it refilled itself twice a day. He didn't know how long he would be gone, and he didn't want his cat to die.

Magnus then slung his other leg out the window, now standing on the outer sill. He flicked the window shut again and looked out to the city below. His ears picked up the sound of sirens in the distance, and he knew without question that it was heading his way. Malachi had reported a shooting, meaning that the police would be in tow of the ambulance, maybe even a swat team. If it had been a human Malachi had tricked, there would be no escape.

Good thing Magnus wasn't human.

Magnus leaped up onto the roof of the next building and ran to the next, jumping the gaps like they were nothing but stepping stones. He kept doing this, moving from rooftop to rooftop in the dead of night, invisible to the human eye because of his speed.

Magnus didn't know where to go. He didn't know if Ragnor had returned to his apartment, or one of his other country houses. Magnus didn't feel like he had the time to waste trying to figure out where his friend was, but if he didn't go to Ragnor's where else was there to go? He couldn't run around on rooftops all night, and when dawn hit he'd be more exposed than ever.

He had been running for at least ten minutes before he remembered about Alec.

Magnus stopped and ducked low on top of a higher building. He was far from his apartment now, but didn't trust there not to be people out searching for him already. Hunched close to the ground, Magnus pressed the redial button, since the conversation with Alec was the last he had had on his mobile.

"Magnus, listen, I'm sorry I'm late, I got held up at my apar"- Alec started explaining as soon as he answered the phone.

"What's your address?" Magnus asked urgently.

"What, why? I thought I was coming to you?"

"Malachi showed up and shot himself outside my apartment," Magnus quickly explained in a hushed voice. "He's told the authorities it was me who did it and I need somewhere to hide. Somewhere they won't expect me to be."

Alec cursed. "What?! Seriously? When, I mean how-Wait, no, this isn't the time. Shit. Fuck. Okay, hold on." He continued to tell Magnus where he lived, which Magnus quickly committed to memory. "Are you going to be able to get here without being spotted?"

"Trust me, I have my ways," Magnus replied. He hung up and stuffed his phone back into his pocket, a fresh wave of confidence washing over him as he at least knew where he was going now.

Finding out where Alec lived wasn't exactly desirable, especially if he wanted to avoid the boy in future. This wasn't the time to contemplate that, however. This was a do or die situation and Magnus didn't have the energy to consider what was right or wrong in terms of morality.

He just needed to hide.

~M~

Alec's apartment building was thankfully desolate. Magnus had jumped down from the roof and landed in front of the doors, expecting to have to pull a few tricks to go unnoticed. The foyer was empty and the receptionist had fallen asleep with a magazine on his face. This was good, for Magnus was mentally exhausted and he had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to disguise himself well enough due to this.

Crossing the foyer in one quick flit, Magnus ran up the stairs to the floor Alec told him. He only passed one person as he walked down the long corridor to Alec's door. Forcing himself to act natural was difficult, for his senses were amped up to high and paranoia circuited his brain like canaries. It was only an old woman pushing herself in a wheelchair, but as they crossed each other's path, Magnus wondered if she could tell what was going on. That she was going to go and call the police, telling them that she knew where the alleged gunman was. It took a lot for Magnus to remind himself the impossibility of this. He had certainly gotten paranoid in his old age.

Magnus tried to keep the urgency out of the knock on Alec's door. Last thing he needed was to scare the crap out of the younger man by pounding on his door like he had the hounds of hell at his heels.

Alec opened the door, looking slightly ruffled. He had a phone held between his ear and shoulder, his hands occupied holding a laptop. One hand was typing at a dizzying pace while the other held the device steady. He smiled, clearly forcing the gesture for Magnus' sake, and he minutely jerked his head in a 'come in' gesture.

Magnus followed Alec in, closing the door behind him. The apartment was nothing like his own. Small, but comfortable. The décor was a bit bland but Magnus didn't expect Alec to have the same extravagant tastes as he himself had. Red and cream was . . . nice enough.

"Sebastian, you aren't letting me explain," Alec said as he sat down again on the couch. He dumped the laptop onto the coffee table in front of him, not breaking his typing once. "I know the risks-Will you let me talk?! For Christ's sake, just get back here, alright? I'll explain once you're here!"

Alec hung his phone up and chucked it onto the sofa beside him.

"Trouble in paradise?" Magnus asked lightly.

"More like dispute in hell," Alec murmured. His other hand returned to the keypad of the laptop and he was suddenly typing with double the speed. He looked up to Magnus, eyes shining with concern, fingers still moving somehow even without his eyes on the screen. "Are you okay? Were you hurt at all?"

"Me? No, no, I'm fine." Magnus nudged Alec's phone out of the way and sat down beside him. He rubbed the bridge of his nose to lessen the pressure in his head and tipped his head back. "You should see the other guy, though."

Alec shook his head, disgust evident on his face. "What a mixed up man," he muttered. "I can't believe it, it's not even like it's you who arrested him, it was your father. Malachi must be one sad individual to take it out on you."

Magnus cringed to himself. If only it were that easy . . .

Alec returned his eyes to the screen of the computer. "I'm sorry, but I had to tell Sebastian what was going on," he said. "We live together, it was unavoidable."

"Judging by the that call I'm going to assume it didn't go all that well?" Magnus guessed.

Alec scoffed. "Sebastian will get over it. He trusts me. It's just not exactly the best of news to get when you're coming home from work. 'Oh honey, hope you had a good day at work, by the way do you mind if I harbour a faux fugitive in our apartment?'"

Magnus had to admit that it did sound dodgy, especially since the only evidence Alec had that he wasn't a fugitive was Magnus' own word. "I'm sorry for putting you through this. If it's too much, I can leave. I'm sure there's somewhere else I can go." Maybe Catarina would take him in? She was never fond of getting involved in Magnus' problems, she preferred to remain an impartial third party, so maybe this would be too much to ask for . . .

"No, it's not too much," Alec said firmly. He lifted a hand from the keypad and brushed his fingers through his hair. He said this with such finality, there was no room for argument.

"Alec, you barely know me, it's okay if you don't want me t"-

"Magnus," Alec interrupted, "you saved my life with Xavier. It's my turn to return the favour."

For a moment, Magnus worried that Alec had regained his memory of that night. Then he remembered that Alec only knew that Magnus had gotten him out of there. Besides, if he remembered Magnus turning into a vampire, there would have been no chance of this arrangement going on right now. Hell, Alec would probably have sooner believed Malachi.

"Malachi has been admitted to hospital," Alec explained, turning the computer screen slightly in Magnus' direction so he could see the information Alec was pulling up. "He'll live. Luckily he was shot through that part of the stomach where a bullet can go straight through without causing major damage." Alec snorted. "How convenient."

If anyone thought to look into this enough, they would clearly know that this was a set up. Why would Magnus shoot Malachi in the stomach when the heart or the head would be so much more effective?

"He knew exactly what he was doing," Magnus ground out between his teeth.

Alec hummed with agreement. "He was probably researching the human antimony when he was obsessing over vampires."

Magnus looked at Alec with alarm. "What?!" he exclaimed, sounding a bit more panicked than he had intended.

"Apparently Malachi was big on vampires," Alec explained, mistaking the shock in Magnus' voice for surprise. "Maria was telling me at the signing. He came out of prison with all these books about it. Can you honestly believe it? I mean, angel, is this a new fad or something?"

Not a fad, Alec, it's just you becoming a part of my world, Magnus thought miserably.

Angel? Magnus' eyebrows drew together. A box of angel cards on Alec's coffee table caught his eye. He picked the box up turned it over, reading the small description on the back. "You didn't buy these online, did you?" he asked.

"No, Clary painted them for me," Alec replied, his attention back to the computer. "She knew I was into angels so she made me them for my birthday."

This peaked Magnus' curiosity. "You're into angels?"

Alec nodded slowly. "Mmhm. There was an incident when I was younger where I needed saved. My sister Isabelle claims that the angel Raziel must have done that saving, because our parents would never tell us the full truth about what happened."

Magnus stared at the box in his hands. The urge to blurt out the truth rose up within his system but he swallowed it down with great strength. "And you think she's right?"

"I don't know what to think," Alec answered. "In fact, I choose not to think about it. Angels are interesting, and there is so much rich history and beliefs behind them that it's hard not to get sucked into it. However, I don't relate it directly to what happened like my sister does. I can't bring myself to."

Magnus could tell Alec was getting irritated by simply talking about it. He didn't ask any more questions about it, not wanting to get Alec annoyed. Especially since he was the only person on his side at the moment.

"Did you find anything else on Malachi's condition?" he asked, closing the distance between himself and Alec to have a better look at the screen. The scent of sandalwood and citrus hit him like a club, and it took a great deal of strength to remain composed.

"Only that Maria is in the hospital with him," Alec answered. He leaned back on the sofa, finally stopping typing for a moment. "I don't know what to do."

Magnus felt the same way. What could they possibly do about this? How was he going to get out of this shit storm? Magnus didn't want to go into hiding again, he liked where he had finally settled down. He had spent so long running around; constantly moving; trying to keep one step ahead of everyone and everything; that finally getting to stand still and settle was a relief. Now he was going to have to get up and move again? All because of a stupid mistake he made when he was a fledgling? It wasn't fair.

There was a chink in the door and a man in a suit came in. Alec didn't move from where he sat, staring at the computer between his feet like he was going to find the solution there. The man crossed the room in five strides, dumping his brief case by an armchair, and stood in front of Alec. He folded his arms and said, "Okay then. Start explaining."

Alec looked up at the man-who Magnus assumed to be Sebastian-as if just remembering he was there. "Sebastian, this is Magnus Bane, Magnus, this is my boyfriend Sebastian Morgenstern."

"I don't want to come off as rude Mr Bane, but I'm sure you understand my hesitance here," Sebastian said, clearly straining himself to be gracious in this situation.

"No worries, Sebastian, I understand," Magnus answered, vaguely wondering if Sebastian's hair was naturally white or if he dyed it.

"Look, Sebastian," Alec said sternly, "Magnus is innocent. I'm telling you, Malachi is a psychopath. He shot himself and is trying to make it look like Magnus did it because of what his father did, we have to help him clear his name."

Sebastian pulled a face. "How do you know he's innocent?!" he insisted.

Alec scratched the rune on his neck. "I just know," he said. "Magnus saved my life, I told you this already. He saved me from getting murdered by Xavier."

Sebastian sighed. "Which I am grateful for, I really am." His dark eyes landed on Magnus again. "I can't thank you enough for making sure Alec got out of there safely. But I still don't know you."

"You're a lawyer, Sebastian, surely you've heard something about Malachi," Alec pressed. "Anything at all that would make you doubt the man's sanity."

Sebastian's expression wavered a little. He chewed on his bottom lip thoughtfully. "I never believed that his wife killed herself in the first place, if that's what you're trying to say," he said. "However, that doesn't necessarily mean he shot himself to get back at the son of the man who arrested him. It just seems so far-fetched."

"Sometimes crime is far-fetched!" Alec replied. He stood up and stepped over the coffee table. He grabbed Sebastian's elbow and dragged him off to the side for a moment.

Magnus pretended that he couldn't hear by examining the angel cards inside the box. They were beautifully painted, with such gorgeous detail, that he could act like he was examining each one carefully, when in truth, he was listening in on their conversation.

"When I was taken, can you honestly say that the reasoning wasn't far-fetched?" Alec whispered. "Sometimes criminals don't need rhyme or reason, they just commit crimes for the sake of it."

"Alec," Sebastian answered, voice low but gentle, "that's different. You were a child, that person was . . . was"-

"A psychopath," Alec said ruefully. "And it's not that far-fetched. In fact, Malachi shooting himself makes more sense than my capture."

"We never found out why though," Sebastian reminded Alec. "They could have reasons. Fucked up reasons, sure, but reasons all the same."

"I'm trying to make a point," Alec insisted.

"I see the point you're trying to make," Sebastian answered measuredly.

Magnus risked glancing up at the couple. Alec stepped forward and cupped Sebastian's face in his hands. Immediately the hybrid felt a flare of jealously in his stomach. He clenched his jaw, internally scolding himself. Why was he getting jealous? They were partners, this was the sort of thing partners did.

"Trust me?" Alec asked softly.

Sebastian nodded. "Of course I do."

"Then please trust me now. Magnus is innocent. We have to help him."

Sebastian closed his eyes and sighed. "Okay. I believe you."

Alec smiled and hugged Sebastian. "Thank you," he murmured into the other male's shoulder.

"Don't make me regret it now," Sebastian joked. Alec chuckled and pulled back, a soft smile on his face as Sebastian kissed his forehead. "Life with a reporter, you never know what's going to come of it . . ."

Alec pulled back from Sebastian, face suddenly alight with determination. "That's it!" he exclaimed, voice loud enough that Magnus didn't need to pretend that he wasn't listening.

"What?" Magnus frowned, dumping the cards back into their box and standing up.

Alec ran into a room at the other side of the room, emerging a moment later with a camera and a tripod. He set it up in the sitting room, saying nothing at all about what he was planning. Magnus stepped out of the reporter's way as he grabbed the coffee table and dragged it closer to the camera, linking it up to his laptop.

"Alexander, what are you doing?" Magnus eventually asked.

"I can live stream from the Clave," Alec said. "After the success of the story with Xavier, Clary has given me the ability to stream stories live, in case I happen upon a story and think it should be reported right there at the site."

"And that helps here how?" Sebastian frowned, unbuttoning his suit jacket and shrugging it off.

"Magnus, you're going to tell your side of the story," Alec explained. "All people have heard so far is Malachi's side of things, because the media see him as the victim. If you can disprove that, if you can create even the smallest glimmer of doubt, things may spin on their head. Enough for you to at least be able to plead your case in a court of law."

The thought of having to go to court at all was extremely off putting. However, it may be the only option Magnus had at this point.

"Alec, you could lose your job," Sebastian said unsurely.

Alec waved the concern off as if it were nothing. "Clary won't see it until tomorrow morning and by that point it will be too late."

Magnus pulled a face. "That still doesn't mean that you won't lose"-

"Enough talking," Alec interrupted. He grabbed a seat from the kitchen. It was one of those tall seats you would see at a diner for the patrons to sit by the counter instead of in the booths. "This will work."

"Alec"-

Alec dumped the chair in front of the camera and gestured for Magnus to sit. "My job is about taking risks. I am supposed to report what I am passionate about. What I feel is report worthy; a story that needs to be told. And I think a man's innocence is pretty report worthy, don't you agree?"

Magnus grabbed Alec by the arms to stop him moving for a moment. "I don't want you losing your job over me, Alexander," he said firmly.

"And I don't want an innocent man to go to prison," Alec replied, with just as much authority.

"You don't have to do this."

They stared at one another. Alec's eyes were hard with determination and stubbornness. The envy Magnus had previously felt coiled in his gut like a snake as the urge to just drag the boy against him and kiss him as hard as he could bloomed inside him like a flower. Why did this one boy have to be so captivating? Why, out of everyone it could have been, it had to be Alexander Lightwood?

"Yes, I do."

Leaving no more space for argument, Alec stepped back from Magnus' hold. Magnus glanced at Sebastian, who had been watching their interaction with narrowed eyes. The old hybrid coughed and also stepped back, hoping that his emotions weren't readable on his face.

"Come on, Magnus, sit down," Alec said, moving to his camera. "Just tell me when and I'll go live."

With massive reluctance, Magnus sat down on the seat and nodded at Alec. If Alec lost his job over this, he would never forgive himself, but he would make sure that he got another-if not better-job in his field. Hopefully, however, he would be able to prove his innocence and it would not come to that.

Alec switched the camera on and tapped a button on his laptop. He nodded, signalling that they were now live streaming through to the Clave. Sebastian left the room, whether it be because he was not happy with Alec risking his job or simply because he wanted to get out of his work clothes wasn't clear.

Magnus spoke to the camera, surprised by how easy it was once he got started. He began with retelling what happened back before Malachi got arrested, using the excuse of his father as an alias. He avoided the topic of the dispute he had with the convict that had resulted in Malachi discovering his true identity, simply describing it as his father having 'butted heads' many times with Malachi over the course of his investigation into the domestic abuse of Alya Dieudonne.

Magnus also retold Alya's 'suicide'. Of how Malachi had had a major run in with the authorities' over the abuse of his wife, and how she ended up dead in her car when she would finally be able to testify against him, and how that made no sense whatsoever. Magnus explained everything right up until present day, where Malachi shot himself on his doorstep to make it look he had done it. With all the previous trouble with the man out in the open, it began to sound less and less unlikely that Malachi had actually done this.

Alec remained crouched by the computer, prompting Magnus with the occasional question, but mainly staying silent. He was watching the numbers on the laptop, of how many people were watching and commenting. Occasionally, he would ask Magnus a question someone submitted to the site, so Magnus could further clear his name and so no holes were left uncovered.

It took an hour in total, and Sebastian came out of the room as Alec was packing up the camera again. It was clear that Alec's boyfriend had wanted nothing to do with it, in the off chance that Alec did lose his job as a result.

"It went really well," Alec told his boyfriend. "Thousands of people tuned in to watch it and many of them believed Magnus' side. You should have seen some of the comments that were coming in."

Magnus had been surprised that a lot of the feedback that had come through the live steam was positive. He had expected Dieudonne loyalists to be screeching injustice and calling him a liar. Maybe his side of the story really wasn't as crazy as he had originally believed it to be . . .

"Do you think Clary will be angry with it?" Sebastian asked.

"With the view count we got? She'd be mad if she was!" Alec replied.

Just as he finished his sentence, Alec's mobile began to buzz, boasting a generic ringtone that probably came free with the phone.

"Maybe you've spoken too soon," Magnus cringed.

Alec jumped over the coffee table and dropped onto the sofa, grabbing his phone and accepting the call. "Hello?" he frowned. His eyebrows furrowed even further as soon as whoever was on the other side started speaking. "Maria? Uh, yeah, that was me. What do you mean how could I? I was never on anyone's side until this point anyway. I reported the signing because I was sent there, not because-Oh, that's real mature. Wow, do you talk to your mother with that mouth?"

Alec rolled his eyes, miming slitting his throat to Sebastian and Magnus.

"I'm a disgusting excuse for a human being?!" Alec laughed. "You're so deluded. At least I'm not supporting a murder!" He pulled the phone from his ear and grimaced. "Oops, I think I pissed her off."

"Why did she call you? Did she think you supported Malachi?" Magnus asked.

Alec shrugged. "I suppose I should have expected it. We did talk a lot at the book signing," he said.

"She clearly wanted the press on Malachi's side," Sebastian commented, collapsing into an armchair opposite the sofa.

"The press is already on Malachi's side," Alec muttered, tapping the side of his face thoughtfully. "Or, more so, was. I'd say now they're all going to be divided on the matter."

Magnus was already getting a headache thinking about all the media argument that was going to take place now. "I can't thank you both enough for helping me," he said. "For believing me too. I don't know where I would be right now otherwise."

"I'm glad you came here," Alec answered. "Who knows what sort of platform Malachi would have been given if somebody hadn't exposed how psychotic he truly is. It's terrifying to think about how even the authorities can get fooled." The reporter leaned over and grabbed his laptop again off the coffee table. "This is what I'm good at," Alec continued to explain. "I can keep this momentum going. We'll clear your name yet Magnus."

Sebastian sighed. "Only time will truly tell," he said.

Magnus couldn't help but agree.


	11. A Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secrets are revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I think I've gotten the hack of making italics so anything written as such is a flashback (:
> 
> Thank you everyone for the amazing response to each update. Your support is what keeps me writing ^_^

Chapter Eleven

When Alec set his mind on something, it seemed he would stop at nothing to see it through until the end. Sebastian went to bed hours ago, but Alec stayed up in the living area. Magnus sat on the sofa, unable to take his eyes off the boy as he typed away on his laptop. The only light in the room was provided by a small lamp set in the corner, and the blinding glow from Alec's laptop was bound to be straining his eyes. 

"Alec," Magnus said quietly, the stillness in the room too serene to ruin. He glanced at the clock above the kitchen sink. "It's one o'clock."

"So?" Alec murmured. The reporter blinked, but his eyes stayed shut for a moment. Alec shook his head and opened them again, the bright orbs weighted down with exhaustion.

"You need to sleep," said Magnus.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll get to it," Alec replied. "I'm just monitoring the news for Malachi stories. He's out of hospital, they've released that much, and of course the press was immediately wanting to know if he shot himself. Questions were thrown at him the instant Maria wheeled him out of the hospital, all of them in relation to our broadcast."

Magnus would have loved to have seen that. "What did he say?"

Alec rubbed a hand over his face. "He's denying it. Of course he is. But the public is unsure now. Everyone who suspected that Malachi may not be what he says he is are obviously siding with you. They didn't need much to incubate their doubt. It's not exactly a massive standing point. I mean, people aren't immediately going to go, 'Oh well, Malachi must be guilty, that guy online said so', but it's a start at least. Clave streams always trace back to Clary's headquarters so that's how the police haven't tracked you, yet. By tomorrow evening I'd say they'll find where we are . . ."

Magnus admired Alec's determination. It was all over the mortal boy's face that he would stay up all night if he could. "Alec, you should go to sleep," he said. "You won't be much use nearly falling asleep. Everything will be the same tomorrow, there won't be a great deal of development at one in the morning."

Alec stared at the computer screen, almost looking as if he had been frozen in stasis. Eventually he blinked, and shook his head as if it would rid the sleep from his brain. "You're right," he concluded.

Heaving himself to his feet, Alec stood up and sighed. "Feel, um, free to make yourself comfortable on the sofa. Don't worry about the cushions or anything, take what you need. Sebastian can be a bit OCD about it but I can sort it in the morning."

Magnus nodded. He couldn't sleep unless he was at home in his freezer, or else he would overheat. However, he could last days before fatigue would catch up with him. The question of how he would bide his time until morning was an interesting one, however Magnus supposed he would just take over Alec's job of keeping an eye on the news and watching out for any new developments in relation to Malachi and the Clave broadcast.

Alec had started scratching the rune on his neck. Magnus tried not to ask, but the words were out of his mouth before he could prevent them. "Do those marks hurt?"

Alec snapped into reality, having escaped himself into a drift as he stood there. He looked at Magnus with alarm in his eyes. "What?"

Magnus stood up and gestured to the runes on Alec's neck and arms. "Those marks. You're always scratching them. Do they hurt?"

"No," Alec quickly said, snapping his hand away from his neck like his skin had suddenly caught fire. His cheeks turned bright pink and he stepped backwards, almost as if trying to retreat into himself. "It's more of a habitual thing than anything else."

Magnus desperately wished he could rid Alec of those marks. The younger man was lying about the pain. By this point it wouldn't be a constant thing, but the burns like those don't just vanish. They would ache for the rest of Alec's life.

And it was Magnus' fault.

Alec's hand spread over the only other rune visible due to his sweater; the clairvoyance rune around his wrist. He clearly didn't like them being on display, even though he had been living with them nearly his entire life. It made Magnus' insides churn at the thought of Alec being so self-conscious for so long because of an incident that could have been avoided.

"I should get to bed, as you say," Alec muttered.

Just as he turned to head to his room, Magnus reached out and grabbed the boy's wrist. Alec jumped with surprise and looked back at the hybrid with wide eyes. Magnus stared back, making sure he held authority in his gaze. "Those marks aren't anything to be ashamed of," he said firmly. "You don't have to hide them."

Alec's lips parted, as if he were about to say something, but no words came out. His eyes remained wide, slightly shocked by such an outburst. Magnus wondered if Sebastian ever told Alec this, he'd like to think he did, so why did the reporter look like he'd just had a bucket of cold water chucked over him?

All it would take would be a tug to the wrist and Magnus could kiss Alec . . .

The thought of kissing Alec was so delicious, and so tempting, that Magnus almost did it. It was like he couldn't control himself; he could practically feel the nerves in his arms twitching in preparation. Thankfully, this was enough to get his fingers to snap open and release Alec from his grip.

"Goodnight, Alexander," Magnus said.

Alec rubbed the wrist that Magnus had held, his thin pale fingers loosely wrapped around the appendage. He looked slightly lost, like he was going to struggle to find his room even though it was literally right across the way. "Night, Magnus," the mortal man murmured, turning around and shuffling to his room.

Magnus spun around and rubbed his hands over his face. He really needed to get a hold of himself.

Alec was mortal.

Alec was human.

Alec had a boyfriend.

If Alec knew what Magnus was, he'd never want to see him again.

It couldn't possibly work. As much as Magnus wanted it to, it would just create complications. Not just for himself but for Alec as well.

Magnus threw himself onto the sofa and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on. Since he was alone, he summoned his jacket over to him from across the room. Pulling a packet of blood from the pocket, he settled in for the night and hoped the time would pass fast enough.

Magnus didn't like to be left alone with his thoughts.

~M~

_"Magnus, I can't have children."_

_Magnus rolled his eyes. Was this seriously going to be her opening argument? "Yes, I know," he said. "Even if you could, warlocks are barren, remember? If this is really the beginning of your side of this argument, then it's not a very good start."_

_Camille ground her teeth together, rolling her head around on her neck so it cracked. "What if we had a family?" she implored, eyes softening as she reached out and took his hands into hers._

_"How?" Magnus asked, immediately taking his hands out of hers. "First of all, it's impossible. Secondly, do you really think a family is going to erase all of what you have put me through? You ruined my life, Camille. You didn't even ask!"_

_Camille closed her eyes, her head falling forward so her face was shrouded by golden curls. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I am. I just wanted us to be together forever."_

_"Warlocks are immortal!" Magnus stood up and paced around the room, trying to keep a lid on his rage. Why couldn't she see why this angered him so much? "We could have been together forever!"_

_"Not without prejudices!" Camille stood up as well, marching over to Magnus and grabbing his arms so he'd stay put. She forced him to look at her, green eyes shining with affection. Magnus felt his own love for the vampire broiling in his gut, but he forced it down. He was in love, but he refused to be a doormat. "If we had a family, just imagine how close it would bring us to one another again. Imagine us having a child, a child of our own."_

_Magnus snorted, breaking their gaze and shaking his head. "You're deluded. I'm barren; you're barren; it's impossible. You're just avoiding the main topic here. You made me a . . . a . . . thing! A hybrid of two beings that probably should never have been mixed!"_

_"You'd be the perfect father," Camille insisted._

_"You're not listening to me!"_

_"Just think"-_

_"No, Camille!" Magnus wretched his arms out of his wife's grip. Camille scowled, nostrils flaring angrily. "You're clearly not even the tiniest bit remorseful for what you did. And if you can't see why that upsets me then I don't know what to say to you!" Magnus ran a hand through his hair, glitter sticking to his skin like glue as he did so, and headed for the door._

_"Magnus!" Camille shouted after him._

_Magnus laid a hand on the door handle and exhaled. Looking over his shoulder at the woman he had fallen in love with; the woman who had tricked him; the woman who had ruined his life; he said, "How can I possibly have a family with you if I don't even trust you?"_

_Camille glowered vengefully, but didn't answer._

_Magnus had to gather all the strength he had to turn his back on her and leave. It was one of the hardest things he had ever done in his life._

"Magnus?"

Magnus snapped out of his reverie, falling back into reality like a piano pushed from an open window. He realised he was staring out Alec's window, watching the sun set on another day. It had been a shockingly uneventful day. Magnus almost thought that maybe the entire ordeal the night before had been a dream, and he and Alec hadn't really broadcast the truth to the masses. If it weren't for the online debates going on over Magnus' innocence, then he probably would have believed it.

"Magnus?" Alec asked again.

Magnus looked over his shoulder. Alec sat with his computer on his lap, legs crossed on the sofa. Clary had called that morning, ecstatic about their broadcast, and had set Alec the job of writing out an article about the entire ordeal for the site. He'd been working on it since the call; since Sebastian had left for work. The crazy woman had even been excited about the police searching her Headquarters as long as she was allowed to send someone out to report it.

"Hmm?" Magnus hummed.

"You okay?"

Magnus nodded. "Yeah, just a bit spaced out."

"I suppose it's been quite boring for you," said Alec. "I had expected there to be more of an uproar, but I guess more time is needed. Malachi hasn't come out the entire day. No interviews, no nothing. It doesn't exactly help his case but y'know I suppose he's recuperating or whatever."

"Don't worry about me, Alexander," Magnus smiled, returning his gaze to the window. He had been quite drained through the daytime, due to the glaring sunlight that couldn't be avoided without arousing suspicion through asking for the curtains to be shut. Now that night was coming, Magnus could already feel his energy coming back. Like the health bar of a video game character being replenished.

Alec didn't know that Magnus had enjoyed simply being in his presence. It was interesting to see how Alec lived out his day to day life. What time he woke up at; what cereal he ate for breakfast; what television programmes he would put on as background noise . . . Even watching Alec kiss Sebastian goodbye that morning was weirdly sweet, despite the envy Magnus still couldn't seem to get under control. In terms of trying to distance Alec, this was detrimental. In terms of getting to know the little boy Magnus had rescued, it was amazing to witness.

A pause.

"It's Alec," Alec said.

Magnus chuckled. "I know."

A moment later, Alec's mobile buzzed. When Alec picked it up, he made an unpleasant noise. Magnus looked back over his shoulder again. "What is it?"

"It's Maria," Alec cringed. He accepted the call and held it to his ear. "Look Maria, whatever it is, I don't want to hear it. I believe Magnus, there's nothing you can say"-Alec paused. He sat up urgently and dumped his laptop onto the coffee table. His face had gone white as a sheet, and Magnus immediately knew something was wrong.

"Alec, what is it?" the hybrid asked, standing up as well and moving around the table to stand in front of Alec.

Alec removed the phone from his ear and pressed the speakerphone.

"Alec, you've got to help me! Malachi had taken me hostage!" Maria begged. "You were right! Magnus was right! He's a psycho!"- There was a sharp slap, and a scream.

"You're supposed to tell them what I told you to say, bitch!" Magnus' breath caught in his throat.

Malachi.

"I suppose if you want something done right, do it yourself," Malachi huffed. "Mr Lightwood," he said in a sickly sweet voice, "is Mr Bane with you?"

"I'm here," Magnus immediately said before the other could speak, not wanting to get Alec involved.

"You should have just let yourself get sent to prison," Malachi chuckled. "Here's how it's going to go: you're going to come to the warehouse-you know the one, you had your scuffle with Xavier there-and turn yourself over to us, or Maria dies."

"Help me, Magnus, please!" Maria sobbed. There was another slap, expect it sounded blunter. Like she'd been hit with an object.

"Shut up! You had your chance!" Malachi roared, nothing but pure hatred in his tone. He was no longer smiles and jibes, there was nothing but pure evil oozing from every word. Finally showing his true colours. "You have one hour or she dies."

The dial tone droned in the silent room like sirens in Magnus' ears.

Magnus looked at Alec, who was pale as a ghost. The younger boy's face hardened with determination. "What are we going to do?"

"More like what I'm going to do," Magnus said, crossing the room in two strides and grabbing his coat. "You're staying here."

"I bloody am not!" Alec answered angrily.

Magnus shrugged his coat on. "This is my fight, not yours."

"I'm involved now. It's my fight just as much as yours," Alec said fiercely. "Sebastian keeps a gun in our bedroom in case of emergencies, I can use that to"-

Magnus grabbed Alec by the arms, stopping him from heading to his room to fetch the weapon. Alec blinked, shocked at how fast the older man had been able to move. "Alexander," he said seriously, "don't you dare follow me. This is too dangerous. I would never forgive myself if you got hurt."

Alec's nostrils flared with rage. "It's Alec," he ground out between his teeth.

Magnus' lip twitched, threatening a smile. He forced Alec over to the sofa and made him sit down. "Keep an eye on the computer. For developments. Promise me you'll stay here."

Alec sealed his lips shut.

"Alexander," Magnus growled, enunciating every syllable in the boy's name, "stay here."

If Alec got hurt, Magnus would never forgive himself. It wasn't like Alec had been in his life a whole lot until recently, but if Alec died because of Magnus' history with Malachi, it would be like rescuing him all those years ago had been pointless. Magnus couldn't let that happen. He felt responsible for Alec's safety now, especially where it concerned dangers in direct relation to himself.

"Fine," Alec eventually said, his voice full of venom.

Magnus nodded and released Alec's arms. "Good."

He tried not to look back as he headed for the door and exited Alec's apartment.

~M~

It was completely dark by the time Magnus reached the warehouse.

Magnus got a chill as he stood before the massive building, remembering when he had battled Xavier and almost lost Alec in there . . .

There was shouting from the interior, and sobbing too. Magnus sealed his eyes shut and exhaled. Poor Maria. She had just been a misguided individual, she didn't deserve this. Malachi was so easy to believe; a natural born charmer. He could convince anyone of anything if he wanted to. One of the first signs of a psychopath, really.

The front door was not a good idea. Magnus crossed the gravel to the shut door and looked up. Bending his knees, he thrust himself upwards into the air. He sailed through the air as if he weighed nothing and landed on the roof. The warehouse was either shoddily built or was very, very old, as he nearly fell through a hole in the roof as soon as his feet touched down.

Magnus fell to his knees and examined the hole. There was a ceiling beam a couple of metres below where he would have an excellent view of what was going on below. Despite knowing he would fit through the hole perfectly fine, Magnus still habitually sucked in as he threw his legs into the hole and slid through. Almost as if Malachi would hear him so much as suck in a breath.

The fall from the hole to the beam felt like nothing, and Magnus landed on the strip of metal as silent as a mouse. He lay flat on his stomach and crawled forward a little so he had a better view of what was going on.

Maria was lying on her side on the sofa where Xavier had almost assaulted Alec. There was a strip of duct tape across her mouth and her hands were tied together. For a moment, Magnus thought she was alone, but then he was hit with the different scents of blood. Two A positives, an O negative and a B negative. Malachi must have hired some thugs to defend his ranks since he was injured. Magnus was going to have to take care of them somehow maybe by . . .

No. That sort of thinking got him into this mess in the first place.

Magnus saw two men come into view. They were a greasy looking pair, both wearing sickening grins as they stalked over to the bound woman on the sofa. Maria immediately began to struggle, screaming behind her gag and almost falling onto the floor due to her lashing.

"Looks like we've got some time to kill," one of the men-O negative-growled.

Maria kicked out at them, but was easily restrained by a hand in her hair. She screamed, the sound nothing but a pained muffle. "She's a fighter," the A positive man chuckled.

Magnus grimaced, a scowl burning into his features when O negative started to open his pants. The hybrid rolled his body off the beam, grabbing it with his hands so he dangled from the support. An instant later he released his hands and allowed himself to fall to the floor, his feet touching the ground without a sound right behind the thugs.

Maria immediately noticed Magnus behind her attackers. Her eyes widened but Magnus quickly put a finger to his lips. She must have understood because she didn't say anything.

"Let's get this party started," A positive said, clearly ready to watch whatever O negative was going to do to Maria.

Magnus grabbed the back of A positive's shirt and threw him across the room single handily. O negative spun around with shock. "Bane!" he exclaimed.

Magnus grabbed O negative by the lapels of his jacket and slammed him against the wall. Once. Twice. Three times. The thug slid to the floor, unconscious.

Not wasting time, Magnus immediately went to Maria and ripped the duct tape from her mouth. She was too shocked to speak, staring at Magnus like he was an alien in front of her. Magnus ripped her hands free and gestured towards the exit. "Go. Quick," he said.

Maria didn't need to be told twice.

Magnus watched her run to the door. Once satisfied that she was safely out, he turned to try to find Malachi.

And was immediately met by a kick up the chin.

Magnus fell backwards, teeth rattling in his mouth like expensive china during an earthquake. Blinding pain branched up his face, and he immediately knew that his jaw was dislocated. Shit, how had Malachi sneaked up on him like that? It must have been when he was watching Maria leave. Too caught up in emotions . . .

Malachi came into view, smirking like the sicko he truly was. "I knew you'd come," he said. He pulled a gun from his back pocket and, just to be an asshole, fired a bullet into Magnus' shoulder. It hurt like a bitch but quickly healed itself. "Judging by how you couldn't let Alya's suicide go, I knew you liked your women. Now you're all mine."

Magnus didn't even have a witty response. Speaking was impossible with the state his jaw and mouth was in. He moved to lunge to his feet, but Malachi had been hiding a stake behind his back. The psycho jammed the piece of wood into the vampire's stomach and gave it a good twist to be sure.

Immediately, paralysis took over. Magnus was helpless.

"I'm not going to waste time with a winner's speech," Malachi explained. He disappeared from view for a moment, and when he returned, Magnus' felt his entire world stop.

The criminal had acquired a flamethrower.

All Malachi had to do was set Magnus on fire and he'd be a goner.

"It's pointless, it just wastes time," Malachi continued. He ignited the thrower, the roar of the fire bursting from the end striking fear into Magnus' being. There were very few things the old hybrid feared, but death had always been one of those things he hated to admit terrified him. Had he done enough in his life to earn peace and serenity in the afterlife?

Magnus couldn't even shut his eyes to wait for it to come. He had to wait every agonising second.

Malachi's eyes had a psychotic gleam as the flames bathed his face with fire. He knelt down in the ground, and if Magnus wasn't paralysed he'd have flinched at how close the fire was to his skin. Malachi ripped the stake out of Magnus' stomach so that he would feel every second of his death. Magnus gasped with relief and tried to grab Malachi's wrist to force it back, but the criminal just punched him in the face to keep him back.

"Rot in hell," Malachi growled.

Magnus squeezed his eyes shut.

There was an ear shattering bang.

Magnus' eyes snapped open and he stared with horror as Malachi froze. A circle had appeared in his neck and seconds later it was gushing blood. It burst from the wound with every beat of the man's heart, a thin sliver also slipping out from behind his lips.

Then Malachi was gone. He'd fallen backwards onto the floor. Dead.

Magnus stared at the ceiling for a moment, shocked at what had just happened. His entire body was trembling, the abuse and shock it had endured taking its toll on his system. Malachi's flamethrower was still blazing, and had caught the sofa. The furniture began to catch fire, and soon the entire building would be ablaze. Magnus had to get out of there before he really did die.

The hybrid rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself up onto his knees. He slung his body upright and looked to the door, where the bang had come from.

Alec stood in the open threshold, clutching a gun in his trembling hands. Maria stood a couple of steps behind, covering her mouth with both her hands. Magnus experienced conflicting emotions at seeing Alec standing there. Relief; anger; immense happiness. It was hard to tell which emotion dominated the three.

Magnus staggered to his feet and stumbled over to the mortal, not saying a word as he pushed Alec from the door and back out into the night.

"I-I-I-I-I couldn't j-j-j-j-just l-leave y-y-you," Alec stammered, still holding the gun in both of his hands.

Magnus couldn't say anything; he was in too much pain. He needed blood . . .

"H-H-H-He w-was g-g-going to k-k-k-kill y-y-you," Alec hiccupped.

Magnus saw tears seep from Alec's eyes and immediately felt his heart sink. Alec had just killed somebody. It was different for mortals. Marginally anyways. Magnus had killed lots, not by choice but necessity. He was hardened to it. Alec was not.

Despite his pain, Magnus stopped when they were a decent distance from the warehouse and pulled Alec into him for a hug. He vaguely heard Maria frantically crying down the phone to the police what had happened. That wasn't important, though. Magnus was too engrossed in the embrace.

Alec's body was lithe but strong, and the extension of it being pressed against Magnus it felt so right. The hybrid's face nestled perfectly in the crook of Alec's neck, the sandalwood and citrus scent of the boy's rare AB negative blood filling his senses. Magnus felt his teeth snap out, the fangs inches away from touching Alec's skin. One more inch and he could-

Magnus pushed Alec away. The younger man stared at him, shocked at being pushed away so abruptly, like he was diseased or poisoned somehow.

"I've got to go," Magnus quickly said.

"Wh-what?" Alec stuttered.

Magnus didn't answer. He couldn't. If he didn't leave now he was going to make a grave mistake. He bolted off, waiting until he was out of Alec's sight around the corner of the warehouse before he properly took off, taking off in a blur of glitter.

Magnus reached his apartment in minutes. It wasn't far from the warehouse, barely a mile away. He staggered up the stairs, severe hunger beginning to set in. He felt exposed and didn't want to risk drinking until he was inside his apartment. His jaw was already beginning to mend itself and the bullet wound was virtually gone, but the exhaustion and hunger outweighed both those injuries combined.

Magnus staggered into his apartment, not even bothering to shut the door tight as he stumbled across the floor and fell down in front of his sofa. The chairman ran away at the sight of his owner looking so ragged, screeching like a banshee as he fled to the bedroom. Magnus ripped his coat off and emptied the blood packets from his pockets.

Not caring about his carpet or clothes, Magnus ripped the packets open and dosed his mouth in the blood. It was so warm and refreshing Magnus almost moaned with relief. He barely paused as he changed packets, dumping the contents into his throat as if he was never going to drink again. The thick liquid coated his hands but he didn't care. He felt like an animal, but he didn't care.

He _was_ an animal.

"Magnus, why did you disappear?"

Magnus froze at the sound of a familiar voice calling from down the hall.

"Why's your door open?" Alec frowned, nudging the door open with his knuckles.

Magnus flattened himself against the floor, slouching behind his sofa so he nearly lay on his back on the floor. "Go away, Alec!" he yelled.

"Not until I know you're okay," Alec answered stubbornly.

"You'll need to make a statement to the police when they get to the warehouse, just go!" Magnus shouted, an obvious tremor in his voice. His hands were shaking like crazy, his entire system still feeling jilted from its near death experience.

"So will you," Alec replied. It was obvious in the boy's voice that he was still scared from having shot Malachi. But he had gotten a hold of the stammer from before, the only evidence being a tremor similar to the one Magnus' own voice currently held.

Alec rounded the sofa and Magnus crawled around behind it, like a child trying to avoid being scolded by their parent. "Magnus?" Alec asked, his voice cautious but concerned. "Why is there so much blood on your floor?"

"Just go, please!" Magnus insisted. He could sense Alec getting closer to him. He covered his face with his hands, knowing that his eyes had changed and his teeth were out.

"Your hands are covered!" Alec exclaimed. The younger man crouched in front of Magnus. "Are you hurt? Did Malachi hurt you?"

"Please go," Magnus whispered desperately. One last pathetic attempt.

Alec gently took Magnus' hands into his own, not caring about the blood. He parted them, revealing Magnus' face. The pure white iris; the fangs; the blood coated face and lips. Magnus flinched, like Alec's gaze burned like the fire Malachi had threatened him with.

Magnus closed his eyes.

_Camille grinned behind Magnus' closed lids. "His name is Alexander. Can you believe it, Magnus? He's ours now."_

Magnus opened his eyes again, meeting Alec's shocked gaze with shame. "I'm a vampire," he said.

Alec's breath caught in his throat.

_"Our own son. We're a family now."_


	12. Coming Clean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus comes clean to Alec about everything. Well,almost everything.

Chapter Twelve

Magnus sat on the floor of his apartment, his arms folded on top of his coffee table with his head nestled inside them. He hadn't seen Alec in weeks, not since the boy had fled his apartment the night that Malachi was killed. It had all been a blur of police interviews and constant visits to the station so that Magnus could clear his name and the truth about Malachi could be exposed. Magnus didn't make an attempt to force contact with Alec; a part of him even believed that he might have some of the LA vampires kicking his door down for exposing himself to a human.

That hadn't happened, which only led Magnus to assume that Alec had kept quiet.

It was odd, to say the least. Magnus trusted Alec, for reasons he was still a bit foggy on, but he hadn't believed for one second that Alec had a similar loyalty towards him. Especially since the last time Alec had seen him he had been covered in blood with his fangs standing out like diamonds attached to his mouth. There was no denying what Alec had saw, and what Alec now knew. This would change everything in Alec's world and Magnus hadn't expected that to be the sort of thing he would have kept secret. More out of fear than a desire to expose.

Chairman Meow jumped onto the coffee table and prowled around Magnus' arms, rubbing his head against his owner and purring lovingly. "Hungry, are you?" Magnus blandly asked. For once his cat didn't respond to this question by plodding off to his bowl. Instead, the animal sat down by Magnus' head and continued purring. Well, at least his cat still liked him.

There was a knock at the door. Magnus groaned. If this was Officer Garroway visiting to ask him to come to the station for the billionth time he was going to jump off his balcony. The scent of citrus and sandalwood suddenly hit his nostrils and his heart skipped a beat. Flicking his hand towards the small screen by his door, an image of what was outside his door flickered to life. Or more accurately _who_ was outside his door.

Magnus straightened as he took in the image of Alexander Lightwood standing outside his front door. The black-haired man had his arms folded across his chest defensively and was tapping his foot impatiently against the floor. Oh god, why was he here? Had he come to inform Magnus that he was going to expose him and his kind? No, Alec wouldn't do that. The worry was still there, though. When you live for hundreds of years you learn to be weary of everything, and Magnus had let his guard down around this man enough to last him a lifetime.

Yet Magnus didn't think twice about getting up and moving to the door. The alarmed expression on Alec's face when he opened the door was almost comical, if the thought hadn't just popped into Magnus' head that Alec could be here to stake him.

"I want to listen," was the first thing Alec said, spoken so quick as if he believed Magnus was going to shut the door in his face again. "I want to know about what you are."

Magnus stared at Alec for a moment, absorbing what he was saying. "You're not afraid?" He tried to pass the question off as humorous teasing, but there was a seriousness to his tone that gave away his genuine concern.

Alec's Adam's apple bobbed as he nodded. "Very afraid," he answered. Before Magnus' heart even had a chance to sink, he added, "I'm scared of what this means for what I know about the world."

Magnus leaned against his doorframe and picked at the blue nail polish on his fingers. "Aren't you worried I'll drink your blood?" he bitterly asked.

"Why would you drink my blood after saving me from Xavier and trying to prevent me from confronting Malachi?" Alec frowned. "Seems very counterproductive to me. Besides, I'm pretty sure if you wanted to kill me you wouldn't have let me escape your apartment when I found you, ah, eating."

Magnus couldn't resist smiling. Of course, Alec would apply logic to the situation, why had he ever doubted him? Magnus moved away from the door and gestured for Alec to come in. "Please, make yourself at home," he said.

As Alec entered the apartment, Magnus glanced at his reflection in the mirror as he shut the door. His hair was a fucking mess, but at least his makeup was on point. Why did this even matter? Magnus needed to get his priorities in order, he just didn't know how to, especially when Alexander was around.

"Is it hard to get blood off the carpet?" asked Alec. He was clearly trying to lighten the mood, and was certainly not expecting the answer he would get.

"Not particularly, since I'm a warlock," Magnus answered.

Alec laughed but stopped when he saw how serious Magnus was. "What?" he asked, his voice high pitched.

Magnus sighed and gestured to his couch. "You should probably sit down. There's a lot of explaining to do."

Alec did exactly that. He lowered himself onto the couch, nervously playing with his hands as the realisation dawned on him that this was about to get very surreal very fast. Chairman Meow jumped up beside him and Magnus' heart fluttered at how Alec automatically started stroking his cat, barely even needing to glance at the animal to know it was there.

"Let's cut to the chase and just be blunt here: I'm a hybrid," Magnus explained, throwing himself into the armchair across from the couch. "I was born a Warlock but was turned into a vampire by my ex-wife Camille, hence turning me into the fabulous crossbreed I am today." He scratched his head thoughtfully. "I haven't aged a day since my twentieth birthday."

Alec's eyebrows furrowed. "So how old are you?"

"I stopped counting ages ago. It gets very boring after a while." Magnus frowned. "And disturbing at the same time." He shivered, hating to think about how he'd look now if he wasn't an immortal being.

"I wouldn't have believed the vampire thing if I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes," Alec explained. "I'm not so sure about this warlock thing it seems a bit too fanciful, I me"-

Magnus interrupted Alec by waving his hand so that two cups of coffee appeared on the table separating them. Alec's eyes widened and he swallowed hard. "I have to be dreaming," he finally concluded.

"Well, I can pinch you if you want," said Magnus.

Alec ran a hand over his face. "Where do you get your blood from? Do you kill?"

Magnus shook his head. "I have connections at the local hospital who provide me with blood from the banks."

"Why was Malachi really after you, then? I'm assuming it wasn't to do with your father."

"Ah, no. Uh, let's just say I made some mistakes as a cocky newborn." Magnus didn't want to divulge anymore than that, lest Alec get scared and think that Magnus was capable of attacking him just as he had attacked Malachi. It felt like they could actually get somewhere here, and the last thing Magnus needed was Alec getting permanently terrified of him. "And while we're on that subject, actually, that wasn't my father. That was me."

Alec took a moment to process this before slowly nodding. It almost looked like he was in slow motion as he confirmed his understanding. He squinted. "Does that mean that Xavier was a vampire, too?" he asked.

Magnus blanched at the very thought. "God, no! He was a poser! The number one rule of being a vampire is don't expose yourself to humans. He was exposing himself all over the place. In more ways than one."

This made Alec chuckle. Magnus was glad to see him smiling. Amusement was quickly replaced by confusion as something occurred to Alec. "Are you going to get in trouble because I know?" he asked.

"Since you're the only person who knows about me, it's most likely that if you tried to expose me you'd sound like a lunatic," Magnus shrugged. He pinned Alec with a firm gaze. "Why? Were you planning on saying something?"

"Oh yeah, I had this whole news segment planned," Alec replied sarcastically. "'Local man is exposed as a vampire warlock hybrid. A vamplock.'"

"Vamplock?" Magnus laughed.

"Sounded better than a warpire."

Magnus shook his head with bemusement. Maybe it was a good thing that Alec now knew the truth. It meant that Magnus didn't have to hide who he was anymore, nor did he have to worry about what Alec would think of him if he ever found out. Alec didn't seem to think any different, or at least if he did he was very good at hiding it. The only thing that had changed was that Alec now knew that Magnus drank blood and could perform the odd spell.

Okay, quite a bit had changed.

"I feel like I'm dreaming," Alec said again. "This can't be real. I'm bound to still be in bed right now."

Magnus shrugged. "Ah, well, I can't really convince you any different. I can assure you that you're not dreaming but really that's as helpful as an anchor in a swimming pool." He took a sip of coffee from one of the conjured cups. "I've never revealed my true identity to a human before so I'm not sure how to proceed, to be honest. Would you like some absorption time?"

Alec looked a little helpless. Like he didn't know what he was supposed to do anymore. "Is there anything else I should know?" he asked lightly.

_Well, yes. There is the fact that my crazy ex wife who turned me into a hybrid was the same woman who kidnapped you when you were a child because she was so desperate for a family with me she resorted to stealing someone else's kid. She's also the reason you're covered in runes, because she really was a psychotic bitch who needed committed and thought she could make you immortal by covering you in those useless marks._

"Nope, not that I can think of," Magnus answered.

"Are there more of you?" Alec asked. "Vampires or hybrids, I mean?"

"Oh yeah, loads. There's an entire LA clan. There's clans in every city of every country of the world."

"That's a lot of vampires . . ."

Magnus nodded. "Mmhm. The NYC clan are the big boys. They deal with law breakers and dole out punishment. Sort of like the Volturi in Twilight but a lot less pompous and a lot more efficient."

Alec finally did something that wasn't just sitting on the sofa and occasionally nodding. He picked up the other cup of coffee and felt around it a bit. It was obvious that he was trying to make sure it was real and not a hologram or a trick of the light. "Is being a warlock like unlimited power or do you just specialise in conjuring hot drinks?" he eventually asked.

Magnus momentarily pondered what a shitty power that would be. The only thing he'd ever be able to accomplish would be constant employee of the month stamps at Starbucks. "Not to brag but my abilities do stretch onto the unlimited spectrum," he answered.

"That's terrifying," Alec stated. "You could level all of L.A at the flick of your wrist."

"Only if I chose to. I mean, I like L.A. Not as nice as Brooklyn was but it's quaint all the same."

Alec could only muster a small smile this time around. Finally, he drank some of his magic coffee. His hair fell over his eyes and he brushed it back flippantly with one hand. Magnus watched the man carefully, curious as to what his next move would be. For all he knew, once Alec had absorbed all of this new information, he was going to run from the building screaming his head off.

"I dream about vampires a lot," Alec suddenly said.

Magnus raised his eyebrows, intrigued. "Oh?"

This topic seemed to make Alec uncomfortable, as he seemed visible unseated as he picked at his coffee cup anxiously. He was the one to bring the topic up, though, so Magnus was reluctant to tell him not to go on. "Sleeping has always been a difficult situation for me. Ever since I was a kid, I've had an array of different sleep disorders like PLMD; RLS; and Insomnia . . ."

Alec was still talking, but Magnus momentarily dropped out of the conversation mentally. He immediately knew where this sleeping disorders were coming from and it did nothing to ease his guilt over what happened all those years ago. It was Camille's fault, he was sure of it. If she was crazy enough to attempt to rune a child to make them immortal, then Magnus wouldn't have put it past her to have done more to damage Alec during the period he was in her care.

Or, the simpler case may have been that the fear of Camille's return each night kept Alec awake, damaging his sleep pattern.

" . . . my dreams are vastly affected by a situation that happened when I was a kid." Alec scratched his head. "Not to go into too much detail but it resulted in some mild PTSD." Magnus immediately knew to take 'mild' as most likely Alec's means of downplaying his illness. Not to be brash, but there was no way a child got out of Camille's clutches without severe PTSD, at most. "Because of this, a lot of memories resurface in my dreams, usually mixing in with the surreal effects of actual dreaming. The surreal component most always being the fact that vampires crop up a lot."

Magnus made sure to look surprised. "In your memories?" he inquired.

"Yeah . . . I could never explain it. Still can't." Alec shrugged. "In fact, since you're telling me that vampires actually are real it makes even less sense to me."

"Well, if you believed that vampires weren't real at the time it would still count as the impossible mixing with reality in your head," Magnus attempted to rationalise.

Magnus could see Alec's discomfort with his conversation. Clearly, he only meant to mention in an offhand manner that he dreamt of vampires often and the fact that it had turned into a full blown discussion was making him weary. Before Magnus could attempt to lighten the mood, however, Alec spoke up again.

"I have REM, too, which means sometimes I act out my dreams in my sleep," the black haired man explained. He smiled, almost to himself, as he remembered something. "I've actually bitten Sebastian numerous times over the duration of our relationship because of these vampire dreams."

Magnus couldn't help thinking about how amazing it would be to wake up to Alexander Lightwood knawing on his neck as he slept. "I'm sure he doesn't complain," Magnus said, forcibly keeping the envy out of his voice.

"I wish he would, to be honest. I'd rather he tells me if I'm bothering him rather than hiding it and forcing positivity," Alec shrugged. He fiddled with a fraying thread on the sleeve of his sweater. "There's enough people who tiptoe around me in my life."

"Well, that's good. I'm about as upfront as you can get," said Magnus, threading his fingers together and letting them rest on his abdomen.

Alec quirked an eyebrow. "Is that so?" he asked.

"Trust me, if you're bothering me, I'll tell you. I don't have time to waste pussy footing my way through life," Magnus answered. This made Alec smile and that was enough for Magnus himself to smile back. Thank God for that. Alec needed to smile more, it lifted his entire face.

Magnus smirked and walked his fingers down the arm of his chair thoughtfully. "So, how hard do you bite?" he asked. His curiosity was going to get him killed one day.

If Magnus didn't know better, he'd have thought his question had made Alec blush. The younger man's face had definitely gotten warmer looking. "Sebastian says I've made him bleed pretty badly before . . . I never register it because I'm asleep. I guess if you're dreaming about vampires you bite like a vampire would," Alec admitted. "I mean, probably nothing on what you're capable of, I'm sure."

Magnus didn't know if it was the more animalistic side of his being rearing its head or not but he found the idea of Alec biting so hard that it made a person bleed incredibly attractive.

"Enough about my messed up sleep," Alec insisted, keen to thrust the conversation away from him again. "You said that you were turned by your ex wife . . . Why did you break up, if you don't mind me asking?"

To Magnus, his break up with Camille was not a sensitive topic. Ever since she turned him into a hybrid, their relationship had been falling apart piece by piece. Camille kidnapping Alec had been her attempt at restoring what little they had left. She was convinced that a child would heal the scars that were cut too deep into their partnership. It ended up being the last piece of pressure that caused everything to fall apart.

So, no, Magnus wasn't bothered about being asked about what ended his marriage, but it was just the fact that it was Alec asking. Because since it was Alec asking, Magnus couldn't tell him the truth.

"It had been a long time coming," Magnus simply said.

"Aren't vampires supposed to have a sort of connection to their sires? Was it not hard to be apart from her?" Alec asked. Magnus was surprised to hear actual concern in Alec's voice, like the human boy was concerned that Magnus was suffering because he was no longer with his sire.

"We're also supposed to spontaneously combust when we dip our hand in a church font or eat a chicken kief. Doesn't make it true," Magnus answered.

Camille was Magnus' sire, sure. When she first turned him, he couldn't imagine ever being apart from her. Maybe that had been her plan all along, to make him dependent on her forever. Magnus had been so angry at her for turning him against his will but she had become a part of him and back then he found it hard to be without her for a day, never mind for good. He needed her to stop him from killing people for their blood; to help him control his urges; to make sure he didn't do anything stupid as a fledgling. This was a time when he thought he'd never have control over his own body or urges ever again. Magnus had needed Camille, as his sire, to teach him the ways of being a vampire.

However, as Magnus had grown even older and grew comfortable in his new life as a hybrid; when he'd learned everything Camille had to teach him and knew how to control his hunger; that resentment returned. Magnus stayed with her, of course he did. They were married after all and he had believed that, despite all this hate and tension, there was maybe a slim possibility of them getting back to the way they were before their wedding night.

Then Camille began to talk about children sixteen years ago. Nothing was ever the same since then.

"So, you're okay being apart from her?"

"Really, I'm better off without her." Chairman Meow crossed the coffee table and jumped into Magnus' lap. The hybrid frowned. "She wasn't good for me."

Alec's gaze softened and he nodded his understanding. "I'm glad you got out of it, then," he said.

Alec's response made Magnus smile. "Me too," he said.

When silence settled between the pair and there was nothing to do but stare at each other, the world felt like it was turning on its head due to the inexplicable hypnotic qualities of Alexander's eyes. The way they held such interest and curiosity; concern and caution; it would make a person feel like they were falling down a rabbit hole in which they never wished to return from. At least this was Magnus' experience anyways.

Alec's eyes alone were beacons of temptation. Magnus had developed the patience of a saint in the hundreds of years he'd been alive, but never had he been so overwhelmed with the temptation to sin that he was every time he stared into the deep blue pools of Alexander Lightwood's eyes. They weren't just blue, they had brown rings around the pupil; it was almost like they were made specially to break Magnus' resolve.

In these moments, it was hard to remember that Alec had a boyfriend.

The moment was ruined by Alec's mobile ringing. The dark-haired man cursed, putting his coffee down and yanking his phone from his jeans pocket. Magnus was partly glad, partly disappointed. At least this gave him a moment to settle his nerves again.

"Hello? Oh, Clary . . . Is there a lead yet?" Alec automatically stood up as he spoke. Not to leave, but to pace as he spoke. Like his voice had a direct link to his legs on occasion. "You've found her, really?! Where is she?" Magnus watched Alec's face carefully as he listened to his boss on the other end of the line. "How did she get there?! There's no way we'll be able to get to her before The Circle do!" Alec ran a frustrated hand through his hair and cursed. "Okay. Keep me updated, Clary, okay? Thanks."

Alec hung up and groaned into his arm.

"What's wrong?" Magnus frowned.

Alec hadn't stopped pacing and had his thinking face on. "It's a job I'm on. It's fucked itself up."

"How so?" Magnus brushed Chairman Meow off his lap despite the feline's protests and stood up as well. "Anything I can help with?"

"I don't think so, Magnus."

"Try me."

Alec stopped pacing and stared at Magnus with those big blue eyes of his. It was like he was trying to stare into the hybrid's soul and convince him to take back the offer. Magnus had a steel resolve, even when it came to gorgeous blue eyes like those. He didn't back down. Alec reluctantly sighed and asked, "Have you heard of The Circle?"

Magnus pulled a face. "I know of their work, yes."

The Circle were a mafia-like gang that had been terrorising LA for years. Magnus had crossed their path numerous times over the years, attempting to save the lives of people they went after but very rarely succeeding. The Circle were too random in their attacks to know where they were going to strike next and Magnus just settled with the fact that he'd never be able to stop them because of this. Magnus may have been a vampire warlock but he wasn't psychic.

Alec sat down on the sofa again and put his face in his hands. "A month ago, they targeted a CEO. He owed them money or something. They raided his home and shot the man through the head. What they didn't know was that their victim's daughter had been hiding in a wardrobe and saw everything. They left without dealing with her. Finally, we have a witness against The Circle."

Magnus was intrigued by this story. Someone was willing to testify against The Circle? They must have had balls.

"Except, The Circle being The Circle, they found out about her. The police had her in a safe house but a week ago, it was attacked, and Emma was nowhere to be found . . ."

"Please pardon me asking this, but are you sure she isn't dead?" asked Magnus.

"The officers guarding Emma were found dead in the living room but there was a blood trail leading to the top floor window and out onto the alley along the side of the building," Alec explained. "No, Emma escaped. We just couldn't find her."

"Until that phone call, I'm assuming?"

Alec groaned. "She was spotted in the Mojave Desert somewhere. She must be heading to Las Vegas for some bizarre reason! If we know about where she is now, then there is no questioning that The Circle do too."

Magnus examined Alec's stressed out stance for a moment. There was one questioning that was niggling at the back of his brain. He sat on the coffee table in front of Alec and asked, "You're a reporter, not a police officer. What's any of this got to do with you?"

Alec stared at the floor. "Sebastian was Emma's father's lawyer and he was going to be working on the case against The Circle. I'd heard about it through him and was then sent by Clary to cover the attack on the safe house for the Clave. I didn't want to be invested but . . ." Alec looked at Magnus, pinning him with those damning eyes of his. "Emma is only a kid. She doesn't deserve this."

Sometimes all it takes is old fashioned compassion. And, of course, it was Alexander Lightwood who would have compassion in abundance.

Magnus sighed heavily. Goddamn it.

"I'll find her," said Magnus. "I can get to Mojave before anyone else."

Alec looked baffled by Magnus. "But why?" he frowned. "Why should you care?"

"Because you're right," said Magnus. "Emma is just a kid."

_And because anything that is important to you is important to me, as well._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: When it came to writing about Alec's eyes, I couldn't choose between the books description or Matthew Daddario's eyes in the show, so I settled with combining them both! :)
> 
> All the love and support you guys have been pouring into this story means the world to me and it really does encourage me to keep writing even when I'm feeling low. You guys are my motivation and you have no idea how thankful I am for that. Thank you all so much! <3


	13. The Mojave Desert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus goes to the Mojave Desert in search of Emma.

Chapter Thirteen

Holy hell it was _hot_.

That was the problem with deserts, wasn't it? They were always so fucking hot. Magnus didn't know why he expected Mojave to be any different. Just because that had been his intended destination didn't make it any less of a desert. And deserts, by enlarge, were fucking hot. Fucking hot and fucking dry as shit. Magnus hated hot weather, for obvious reasons, and by God did he hate not having a drink nearby. Why the hell did he agree to do this?

Oh. Yeah. Alexander. Fucking Alexander.

Magnus had been wandering around Mojave Desert for a good few hours now. He hoped that Emma hadn't somehow eluded him but surely if she had been heading in the direction of Mojave when Alec had informed Magnus about all of this, there was no way she got any further than that before Magnus himself arrived. Maybe it was the sun going to his head, but if he had somehow gotten outrun by a human girl Magnus was going to have revaluate his ability as a competent vampire.

There hadn't been any form of life for miles now. In fact, considering the last piece of movement Magnus saw as 'life' was being kind since the rat that had momentarily crawled out of its hole had promptly decided to return to the cool darkness beneath the ground seconds later. Magnus wondered if he was taking this too far. If his infatuation with Alec was becoming embarrassing. He was practically doing grunt work for the boy, now! Not that Alec had expected it off him, he had offered to do it himself, which just made the situation even more painful.

Magnus pulled the collar of his coat further up his neck and kept his eyes directed downwards at the dusty, dry earth beneath his feet. Every step kicked up a mixture of sand and dust, which invaded his nostrils like unwelcome guests. This type of exposure wasn't good at all. Vampires didn't burst into flames or melt upon contact with the sun but prolonged exposure was extremely dangerous. In fact, it could be fatal. And Magnus had lost count of how long he had been beneath the glaring sun of the Mojave trying to track down Emma.

He was considering giving up on this ridiculous quest and concluding that Emma was either dead or already gone when a small building came into view. Magnus threw his hand over his eyes, despite already wearing thick sunglasses to shield his pupils from the sun's boiling grimace. It had to be a mirage. Surely, he was hallucinating. All of this walking and he had passed out miles back and was now dreaming this entire scenario. Either that or he had severe heatstroke and the closer he approached this building, the further it would get from him.

Magnus had a long monologue with himself about the impossibility of this building's existence. So long, in fact, that he didn't even notice when he'd reached the building until he nearly bumped into a pillar supporting the gas shelter. Magnus stepped back and looked around him, pulling his glasses down his face a fraction in surprise. Oh. It was a gas station. That made sense.

Magnus opened his coat and pulled the picture of Emma Alec had given him out of his interior pocket. She was a very pretty young thing. Your typical blonde hair, brown eyes, captain of the cheer squad kind. From the photo, Magnus could gauge that she was about seventeen years old, give or take. Way too young to be out here on her own. Magnus was beginning to lose hope. The Mojave Desert was huge and, despite how amazing he was, he wasn't amazing enough to be able to locate what might as well be a speck of sugar in a sea of sand.

The warlock hybrid sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He needed to recuperate under the shade before he went back out there. Even if he ran back home using his speed, going out immediately would be a massive risk to his health. Magnus made the executive decision to go inside the gas station café and order a coffee. For the sake of his own sanity, he needed caffeine.

He was lumbering towards the door when a wisp of blonde hair caught his eye. Magnus's head jumped in its direction and he gaped in disbelief as his eyes took in a blonde girl desperately trying to get the ATM to work. Emma Carstairs. What were the odds?

Magnus approached Emma and tapped her on the shoulder.

Bad idea.

Emma screamed and spun around, quick as a whip. There was a loud bang, like a crack of lightening through the sky, and Magnus realised that she had been carrying a gun in her spare hand just as the bullet sliced through his slide. Thankfully, it went straight through and he wouldn't need to pick it out later but god did it hurt. Magnus had to hunch over for a moment, biting his tongue as to not scream and alert people inside-it hurt right now but it would be healed in seconds and there was no point causing a commotion.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry!" Emma was immediately gushing. "I only brought it as insurance I wasn't intending to shoot someone oh my god are you okay do you want me to call an ambulance where did it hit you oh my god"-

Magnus held his hand up to silence her. He glanced down at where the bullet had blown a hole in his shirt. The wound was already healing itself. Forcing himself to stand up straight, Magnus flashed Emma with a smile and said, "It's fine. You missed me."

Emma stared at Magnus, her chest heaving as she fought to regain her breath. In her eyes, she'd nearly just condemned herself. No way she would have escaped The Circle's attention after shooting someone. "I'm sorry," she said, sounding more unsure now than apologetic.

"It's fine. We all get jumpy from time to time, right?" Magnus could swear there was a ringing in his ears, but that didn't make sense since she had shot his abdomen, nowhere near his ears.

"Do you want to use the ATM?" asked Emma, sidestepping away from the machine. Her hands were trembling, even now as she clutched a debit card that most likely didn't belong to her in one and the gun in the other.

"No, no," Magnus said. "You work away."

Emma narrowed her eyes. "What do you want, then?"

Magnus took his card out of his coat and showed it to her. "My name's Magnus. I've been sent to find you."

This immediately made the young girl back up. "By who?" she demanded to know. "By The Circle?!"

Magnus slowly shook his head, making no attempt to get any closer to her. "Of course not. I've been sent by the LAPD." A small lie, but he didn't know how Emma would react if he said he'd been sent what could be a random reporter who was concerned about her.

This did not relax Emma at all. "Why don't I believe you?" she said shakily. "Tell me the truth!"

Magnus sighed. "Does the name Alec Lightwood ring any bells?" There was that ringing again. What the hell was that?

Immediately, Emma tensed. "Why? Did something happen?"

"So, you do know the name?"

"Alec's going out with my family's lawyer," Emma answered. "Did something happen to him? Did The Circle do something to him? To Sebastian? They always threatened to"-Emma stopped and rubbed her wrist against her forehead in frustration, her entire face crinkled with exhaustion.

"Nothing has happened to either of them, I promise. I was sent by Alec to find you. He's really worried about you," Magnus explained slowly.

Emma closed her eyes. "I can't go back to LA. The Circle will find me. Just as they found my father. They'll kill me and I can't let them. Not when I'm . . ."

As Emma trailed off, Magnus realised what the ringing was. He had gotten used to hearing people's heartbeats long ago. He was now able to drown it out into background noise in his day to day life. However, there was one small exception that made the sound of life difficult to ignore. And that was when there was a smaller heartbeat, echoing someone else's.

Magnus' eyes drifted to Emma's stomach, where the hand holding the bank card now rested. "Emma, are you pregnant?"

When his eyes lifted to meet the smaller girl's again, even though she didn't speak, her expression was answer enough.

~M~

"It wasn't supposed to happen."

 _Was it ever supposed to happen?_ Magnus bitterly wondered as he and Emma sat in the corner of the gas station café. He'd finally gotten his coffee, and was feeling a whole lot better than he had done before. The café didn't have any lights on so it granted a lovely dark that helped the aesthetic of the soothing abilities it had taken on for the hybrid's benefit.

"We had taken every precaution we could, it just didn't work." Emma scowled at the table. "Someone has to be that failure percentage, I guess."

Magnus chuckled. "You know what they say, the only bulletproof way not to get pregnant is celibacy."

Emma looked horrified.

"Don't look at me like that, it's the truth."

The young girl huffed and stirred her tea. There had been a bit of an argument upon entering the café where Magnus had to force Emma to allow him to buy her something to eat. She was a very dignified girl, it seemed, who thought the idea of someone else paying for her abhorrent. It was best not to mention to her that Magnus usually stole goods like this from the comfort of his own apartment using magic and so he had an abundance of investigation money just lying around.

"Who's the lucky man?" Magnus prompted.

"Julian," Emma answered. She didn't provide a surname. Magnus conceded she had every right to be careful with names.

"And where is Julian? He didn't ditch you, did he?"

"Of course, not. I told him to go to Las Vegas as soon as I was being put into the safe house. I didn't want The Circle to find out about him and start sending him threats like they do to Sebastian," Emma explained.

Magnus eyed Emma curiously. "What exactly do they threaten Sebastian with anyways?"

"The usual stuff. I suppose it's only natural since Sebastian is a lawyer and has been so close to putting so many of them behind bars." Magnus was displeased by this vague answer but didn't push it too much. "That's where I'm heading. To Las Vegas to find Julian. The Circle don't have control there. Vegas has it's own mafia that clashes with The Circle a lot. The Circle wouldn't dare cross into that territory."

"But what about your testimony?" asked Magnus.

Emma shrugged. "I don't care."

"You're capable of convicting Circle members and you don't care?"

"I didn't ask for any of this!" Emma snapped angrily. "I just want to live my life! Let someone else witness a murder and have them testify!"

Magnus' eyes softened. He knew all too well what it was like having a power thrust upon him that he didn't want or ask for. "Emma," he said gently, "don't you want justice for your father?"

Emma's big brown eyes filled with tears. She shook her head and took a shaky breath. "Of course, I do," she said quietly. "But I can't risk it. Not when I have someone else to look after. Someone who's life is much more important than my own."

"I will protect you with my life, Emma," Magnus assured.

Emma lifted her eyes and stared at the hybrid suspiciously. "Why do you care so much? You're just doing this for your next pay check."

This made Magnus laugh. "I wish! I'm getting paid squat for this."

This made the young girl frown in confusion. "What? Why?" she asked, completely baffled. "Isn't Alec paying you something for doing this?"

Magnus shrugged. "He didn't even ask me to do this. I volunteered."

Now that really confused Emma. She blinked slowly, almost as if trying to process Magnus' words. "Why?" she repeated.

"Alec was really concerned about you. He thought you were going to die out here. So, I volunteered to come out and find you."

"Why didn't Alec come out himself?" Emma frowned.

Magnus grinned. "I'm much faster than him."

Emma opened her mouth to respond but movement directly behind Magnus captured his attention. He held his hand up to silence her and she sat across from him, her mouth in a perfect 'o' shape. Magnus glanced over his shoulder discreetly. Two men dressed in black had just entered the café. They were large, burly blokes but what captured Magnus' attention and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up where the tattoos on their necks. Circles.

As the men approached the counter and started asking questions, Magnus turned to Emma and said, "Go to the toilet and climb out the nearest window you can find. Break one if you must. Try to get there as quietly as you can. I'll be right after you."

Despite Emma's confusion about Magnus' involvement in her situation, she was able to perfectly recognise when he wasn't messing around. She wiped her mouth on her napkin, trying to remain calm and look casual, and got up from her seat. Magnus watched her as she disappeared into the back, where the toilets resided. As soon as she was gone, Magnus got up from his chair in a smooth movement and approached the counter where the Circle men stood.

" . . . she was last seen around here," one of the men were insisting to the frightened cashier. The circles on their necks were hard to miss and it was clear that the woman at the cash register had immediately noticed the marks, hence her fear.

"Excuse me," Magnus tapped the man's shoulder. The man immediately spun around and Magnus got a strong whiff of A-negative. Oh gross. A-negative was the equivalent to out of date milk to Magnus. It was a consumable blood type, not poisonous at all, but Magnus just couldn't stomach it.

"What do you want?" A-negative snapped. His partner turned as well and Magnus realised with alarm that it was a woman.

"I think I might know just the girl you're looking for," Magnus answered.

"You keep the company of women?" A-negative's female friend snarled sarcastically. She was eyeing his painted fingernails suspiciously, her eyes dancing between his nails and the glitter that currently graced his eyelids like it was the most disgusting thing she had ever seen.

"Ah, yes, a dig at the fact I wear makeup. Good job, I'm sure that took a lot of brain power on your part," Magnus replied dully. He'd heard it all before. Sissy. Faggot. Nancy. Gaylord. To be fair, that last one didn't sound too bad. Being lord of all things gay sounded really fun.

"Shut up, Samantha," A-negative barked. He focused his beady eyes on Magnus and regarded him curiously. "You've seen this girl?" He held up a picture of Emma similar to the one Alec had handed Magnus earlier that same day.

"Yeah," Magnus said mildly. "Saw her cutting across the desert that way." He pointed to the road opposite the café. "Was quite a while ago though, so if you really need to find her I'd suggest hopping to it."

A-negative and Samantha exchanged a look. "Thanks . . . ?"

"Oh, Horace Whipplepool," Magnus filled in. He pulled a remorseful face and sighed when the Circle members looked confused at the name. "I had cruel parents."

A-negative and Samantha shook their confusion off and immediately left the café. Magnus watched them running across the deserted road and cutting through the sand in the direction he had instructed. It wouldn't be too long before they figured out that they had been had and came back looking for them.

Magnus followed Emma's path to the toilets. The ladies were empty (thank heaven for small mercies, he did not need to deal with a bunch of disgruntled women getting pissed at an intrusion) and thankfully it had a window sitting beside the row of sinks. He easily hopped onto the sink counter and clamoured through.

When he landed on dusty ground outside, he straightened and located Emma, who was standing with her back against the wall a couple of inches from the window. "What happened?" she asked. "Did you deal with them?"

Magnus waved her to follow him as he started walking through the sand in the complete opposite direction to where he sent the Circle goons. He intended to cross through the sand until they were out of sight of the main road and then start back in the direction of LA. Emma kept looking over her shoulder as they walked and eventually Magnus decided to put her in front of him, where he could see her, instead of having her tailing behind him.

"Aren't you hot wrapped up in that coat?" Emma eventually asked.

"Trust me, I'm better off wearing it."

"How so?"

"I have that thing. Y'know. Where you're allergic to sunlight or whatever."

Emma spun around. "What the fuck are you doing in a desert, then?" she exclaimed.

Magnus rolled his eyes. "Saving your puny butt now keep walking."

The hybrid's blasé attitude about this new information clearly ruffled Emma's feathers but she didn't comment any further. Instead, she turned around and kept walking as instructed.

When the silence got too much to bear, Emma asked, "So why are you so keen on doing this for Alec, then?" The fear in her voice was unmistakeable and Magnus was able to immediately recognise that she was trying to start a conversation to stop herself from going insane from it. "Hardly worth the trouble for a lay, if that's what you're trying to get."

If only it were as simple as trying to get laid. Magnus sighed. "My relationship with Alec is complicated."

"Complicated in what way?" asked Emma. "Does Sebastian know about it?"

"God, I hope not."

"So, Alec's cheating on him?"

"What? No. What makes you think this is to do with a relationship?" Magnus frowned.

Emma shrugged. "It's the only reason I can think of that would make you drag you ass into the middle of nowhere to help stop someone you don't know from dying. I know you aren't related, so what else is there other than being in a relationship?" Emma cocked her head. "Are you Alec's mistress or something? What's a male mistress called?"

"Didn't your parents ever teach you that if you don't have anything constructive to say, don't say it at all?" Magnus bitterly enquired.

"No, actually, my parents encouraged me to investigate my curiosity."

"Of course they did."

Another silence fell between them. Magnus was beginning to feel the burn of the sunlight again. He pulled his collar up and pushed his sunglasses further up his face. The desert was so still that not even a breeze brushed by. The air was so thick with heat Magnus wondered how they were even managing to currently breathe.

Magnus didn't know if he was going insane or not, but the longer they travelled, the heavier his feet felt. He was beginning to feel like his legs were dragging, as if his body was slowing down and he was moving in slow motion all of a sudden. Emma was still in front of him, but sometimes there were three or four copies of her. Which wasn't right, because he was pretty sure he was only supposed to collect one Emma.

The heat was getting too much. It was stifling, so much so that Magnus was really beginning to feel like he couldn't breathe. He tried to rub his throat to hide it from Emma, but he knew it was unmistakable how heavy he was beginning to breathe. Magnus had never exposed himself to sunlight this long and he wasn't entirely versed on what it was going to do to him. But judging from how the ground was beginning to tilt and spin, it couldn't be good.

Eventually, when his breathing got too loud to ignore, Emma spun around again. "Do you need an inhaler or someth-MAGNUS!"

She was just in time to catch sight of Magnus as his head hollowed out and he fell to the ground.


	14. Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Emma take refuge in an abandoned cabin. Magnus' condition worsens.

Chapter Fourteen

Magnus jerked awake. He was staring at the sky, a canvas of pale blue intercepted by the blinding glare of the unforgiving sun above. The ground felt like it was spinning beneath his back, like he was lying on a roundabout in a park. His skin felt like it was sizzling, frying like bacon on a pan, and he could swear he was melting into the cracks in the ground. He couldn't even remember falling over; he must have blacked out. Now he had no energy to move, like the sun had somehow staked him into paralysis.

Someone was grabbing him, shaking him, trying to pull him off the ground. Magnus shook his head, trying to clear it off the cotton wool it seemed to have filled itself with. A voice swam into his brain; a desperate voice pleading for his attention.

"Magnus! Magnus, please! Please, wake up! Don't be dead, oh my god, please don't be dead!"

Everything came back to him. Where he was. What had happened. Who he was with. What he was doing. Magnus groaned and tried to drag himself up. Every bone in his body felt like it was made up of pure lead, weighing him down like his body was trying to drag itself to the centre of the earth. Despite this, Magnus blindly reached out towards Emma, hoping she'd get the idea and grab his arm.

Thankfully, she did and Magnus felt a pressure around his forearm and then a tug. He used this to haul himself up. It felt like he was dragging himself through tar and every inch felt like a mile. It was like the sun was watching every move he made, waiting for the right time to strike him down again.

As soon as Magnus stood upright again, he saw Emma. She was gripping his arm, her face pale with horror as she stared at him with wide brown eyes. Magnus tried to smile at her, or say something funny or witty or clever, but as soon as he gained his footing his knees buckled and he went straight back down like a tonne of bricks.

This time, Emma caught him around the front and he could stay on his feet. Magnus hated leaning on her, especially since she was pregnant, and put a lot of energy into trying to push himself back up. It was useless. His limbs had weakened to an impossible degree, he could barely move his fingers without having to put immense concentration into it. So this was what the heat sickness was like. It drained the body of all energy so, Magnus assumed, the victim would eventually burn to death as they lay outside, completely immobile.

"I saw on my Google GPS back at the gas station that there should be a motel around here somewhere," Emma started explaining in a hurried manner. She threw one of Magnus' arms over her neck and wound the other around his back. "If we can get you there then you can sleep this off. It's probably your allergy or something. Maybe even just heat stroke."

Oh, Emma, if only it were that easy.

Magnus made himself move. It wasn't easy. In fact, half the time he was sure it wasn't even working and he had been paralysed by the heat. However, despite how it felt internally, he was managing to drag his feet along the sand externally so that Emma didn't have to use all her strength to pull him along. He couldn't tell how long they walked like this for. It could have been five minutes or it could have been five hours for all he processed it. His brain was working much, much slower than usual, the only thing truly processing being the fact that if they didn't get out of the open soon, the Circle were going to find them.

The world felt like it was running around him in slow motion. Or was he himself the one in slow motion? It was hard to comprehend properly. Magnus was too focused on the heat that was searing through his skin right down to the bone and the fact that the only solution to this predicament was unthinkable.

They eventually reached the motel Emma was talking about. It was less of a motel and more of an abandoned cabin. There was an ice box sitting along the side of the building and Magnus could only hope that it was full as they passed it. Emma hauled him the few steps towards the door and as soon as they'd entered the run-down shack she started steering him towards the bed.

"You can sleep for a few hours and hopefully that'll do you some good," she was saying.

No, a bed would only make things worse. Magnus needed to get cold, and fast. He broke away from Emma's hold despite her protests and went in the opposite direction: Towards the bathroom. His legs immediately turned to jelly as soon as he didn't have the support of Emma's body and he had to grab furniture to stay stable as he dragged himself towards the bathroom.

"Magnus, you need to rest," Emma insisted as she followed close behind him.

Magnus grabbed the door handle of the bathroom door and spun around to face Emma again. "G-g-go o-o-out-s-s-side," he told her. Fuck, he couldn't even talk right. His tongue had turned as lazy as his limbs. "G-g-get as m-m-m-much i-i-i-i-i-ice as y-y-y-you c-c—can ca-carry. Br-bring it t-t-t-to m-m-m-m-me."

Emma stared at Magnus in confusion. "Why? Magnus, please, you probably just need to"-

"Just do it!" Magnus snapped at her. He didn't have time to squabble about what he should or shouldn't be doing. Every second that he was like this, the closer he was getting to losing control of his instincts. Even now, Emma's heart beat, echoed by her baby's, was growing louder and louder. Like his ears were trying to remind him of what the only real cure to this was.

Magnus threw the bathroom door open and tossed himself at the bathtub. When he looked over his shoulder, Emma was gone. Hopefully she was going to do as he asked her. He grabbed the cold tap and twisted it, freezing cold water instantly gushing from the faucet. The bathroom was as dirty as was expected from an abandoned hole like this one but hygiene was the least of Magnus' worries at the moment.

As soon as the water had filled the tub to at least knee height, Magnus tugged his coat off and threw himself into it. The water was numbingly cold but Magnus barely feel it. His skin still felt like it was on fire, as if he was still out beneath the brutal sunlight. He knew that this would happen but he had held out for a brief hope that he'd be able to fix this by forcibly cooling himself down. He left the tap running, so that the tub continued to fill up.

Emma returned with a bucket of ice. When she entered the bathroom, she looked taken aback by the sight of Magnus submerged to the neck in a tub of cold water. Magnus barely processed her presence. He'd welded his eyes shut to concentrate on anything besides the echoed thumping of the young girl's heart. Every instinct he had was screaming at him. Roaring at the top of their lungs to do it. Just do it. They were in the middle of nowhere. Nobody had to know. All it took was one taste and he'd submit to his own primal instincts-

The ice was dumped into the bath. Emma must have taken the initiative and tipped the bucket into the tub. It barely made a difference. Magnus could feel his teeth chattering against one another, meaning that his body was reacting to the temperature drop, but he still felt nothing else but sweltering heat.

"Magnus . . ." Emma's voice was garbled, like she was speaking under water. Magnus cringed away from her in the dark behind his shut lids, hoping and praying that she would get the idea and leave. The cold tap was stopped. Presumably by Emma. " . . . Are you okay? What else do you need me to do?"

Magnus said two words behind closed lips. Two words that he had to practically force out due to fatigue through the tiny space in the middle of his mouth. He couldn't speak properly, or else Emma would see the fangs that had appeared because of starvation. Because of the relentless sun that had beat him down so badly that nothing but pure heat flowed through his dead veins. Pure heat that poisoned his system, shut down everything in his body until he responded to the one basic instinct that every vampire had. The oldest and most simple instinct that demanded he feed. The words?

"Get. Out."

Emma lingered for a moment. Magnus could see her in the darkness of his mind. Hovering beside the tub unsurely as she stared at him trembling in the water, pale and sickly and looking like death. The longer she stood, the more powerful the smell of her blood became. It filled Magnus' nostrils like a symphony and he silently pleaded with fate to let her go. Make her leave before he lost control. Lost control like he was no more than a fledgling again, cradled in Camille's arms as she forced him to kill people to eat.

Eventually, Emma left.

This did nothing to relax Magnus. Every muscle in his body was tensed; every limb cramped and weak; every fibre of his being begging him to follow the human girl out into the main room and kill her.

He'd never experienced hunger on this level before. It even rivalled when he had been first turned. When Camille had brought homeless people and tramps to their home, people who would not be missed, and made him kill them. It was her duty, after all, as his sire. If she hadn't fed him, he would have lost control and fed himself. In a much more messy and unpredictable manner. If Magnus had made a spectacle of himself as a new born, if Camille hadn't fed him, he would have lost his mind to bloodlust. New borns who submit to bloodlust are often culled for the sake of the sanctity of the vampires' secret. Their sires are also punished for their irresponsibility, usually through death.

But even now, with every inch of energy Magnus had drained from him through the sunlight, he felt that bloodlust rise inside him like a disease. Maybe he had been wrong before, maybe this was how the sun killed vampires. It poisoned them with bloodlust, took away their self-control, and made them lose their minds. Through that, they'd kill recklessly and maliciously, endangering the secret of the vampires. And thus, like a new born with a lazy sire, they'd be culled.

Magnus sank lower into the bath, his entire body trembling with the effort of staying put. He had to focus on staying where he was, and not going anywhere near Emma. If he killed her, he'd never forgive himself.

If he lost his mind to bloodlust, even he knew it would be better for everyone if he was culled.

~M~

Emma stood outside the bathroom, holding Magnus' coat in her arms. She'd picked it off the bathroom floor as she left so it didn't get damaged by the water or dirty by the grimy floor. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest, faster than she could comprehend. She hadn't been this panicked since the safe house had been breached, and Officer Vargas had told her to escape through the fire escape while she remained to fight off the Circle. Emma didn't know why she was so concerned for Magnus. So worried about this man she had just met mere hours ago. The same thought kept ringing in her brain, ticking over like a clock counting down the moments before a bomb went off:

_He saved my life._

For some reason, Magnus had taken it upon himself to look after her. When those Circle members entered the bar, it would have been so easy to turn her in. Or even just give her time to escape and not come after her. But Magnus had done more than that. He let her escape and then sent the Circle on a wild goose chase to buy them both time. Why? He didn't know her. Why would he put himself through so much trouble for her?

Now he could possibly be dying because of her. He had come out into the middle of nowhere in the centre of the Mojave desert even though he knew he was allergic to the sun. If he even was allergic to the sun. Emma had her doubts, but she didn't know what else could possibly be the reason for what was happening to him. Allergies to the sun usually resulted in a skin reaction, like a rash or extreme eczema. Not this. Not passing out; staggering around like a drunk; barely being able to speak; and then submerging oneself into a bathtub full of cold water and ice. When she had entered that bathroom, Emma had been sure that Magnus was dead. He was so pale and didn't look to be breathing. She had been so relieved when he had spoken to her, even if he had been telling her to get out.

A buzzing in Magnus' coat made Emma yelp in surprise. She dropped the garment in shock but quickly retrieved it again, fishing Magnus' mobile out of an interior pocket. Glitter from the sparkly phone case immediately stuck to her skin as she clicked the home button to open the main screen. Someone called Ragnor had texted him, explaining the buzz.

Emma got an idea. She clicked open Magnus' contacts and there, at the top of the list, as if the Gods of alphabetisation blessed her, was exactly what she needed right now.

Due to her father's job, Emma met his lawyer on a regular basis. Sebastian was a cool guy. Smart; level-headed; dedicated to the job, just what the perfect lawyer needed to be. That and he wasn't a liar, like most in his profession. Not only that, but Sebastian was . . . human. Emma remembered encountering so many law officials as a child, so many important people who seemed so tall and formal and esteemed that they were almost untouchable. Sebastian was different. When he first met Emma, he didn't look down on her, he got down onto her level and actually spoke to her. Asked her about her day and how she was getting on at school. He even answered her when she rudely asked if his hair was naturally white or if he dyed it (it was natural).

Through Sebastian, Emma eventually met Alec. It made sense that the two of them were together, they fit one another well. Maybe too well in many aspects. The first time she spoke to Alec, she had been waiting for her father to come out of a meeting with Sebastian, and Alec had shown up as he and Sebastian had a lunch date. He and Emma sat outside Sebastian's office for half an hour and talked about many nonsensical things. It was fun and as her father began to have more and more meetings with Sebastian in regards to the Circle, the more and more Emma ended up outside the office talking to Alec.

Emma didn't know what Magnus' connection to Alec was. Whatever it was, it had to be serious. Serious enough for Magnus to wish to come out to the Mojave just because Alec was worried about her. Magnus had insisted that it had nothing to do with a relationship or courtship or an affair. Alec would have needed to be a God in bed to make someone come out here anyway purely for the possibility of a lay if the mission succeeded.

In a way, Emma was glad for this. Sebastian was a good guy and he didn't deserve to be cheated like that. Emma didn't take Alec for scum like that anyway. But the question still hung there in the air long after Magnus had first spoken Alec's name in front of the ATM.

 _Who is Alec to you?_  

Emma tapped the name at the very top of Magnus' contact list. Alexander Lightwood. She'd never heard anyone call Alec by his full name, not even Sebastian, but she supposed that didn't mean that others didn't. Finding a place of signal was hard and Emma had to climb multiple pieces of furniture before she found a small spot on top of the rickety chest of drawers that made a couple of bars appear.

She was startled by how quickly Alec picked up the phone. Right in the middle of the second ring.

"Hello? Magnus? What is it? Have you found her?"

"Alec?" Emma asked.

"Emma!" Relief filled Alec's voice. "By the angel, he found you! Where are you? Are you safe?"

"We're in an abandoned cabin somewhere in the Mojave," Emma explained. "But Alec, that man you sent . . . He's sick. I think he might be dying."

A pause. "What? What's wrong with him?"

Emma braced her hand against the wall for balance as the chest of drawers groaned beneath her weight. "Circle members appeared at the café we were at and Magnus sent them away but we had to leave and we were walking in the sun for so long. He just collapsed and now he's in a bath that he filled with cold water and made me throw ice into. I don't know what's wrong but he looks awful and I think he's dying."

There was a crackle on the line. "I'm coming. Emma, stay put, okay? Don't go anywhere, I'm on my way. Keep an eye on Magnus for me, but don't get too close to him. He's . . . he's . . ." Emma frowned as Alec seemed to struggle to explain himself. "He can be aggressive when he's not well. Okay?"

"What's wrong with him, Alec? Is he going to die?" Emma asked fearfully.

"Not if I can help it," Alec said with determination.

"There's something else, Alec," Emma said.

"What?" asked Alec. She could hear movement in the background. Alec was already moving. She heard a door open and the vague symphony of bird song as he must have gone outside.

Emma bit her lip. "The Circle. It's only a matter of time before they realise they've been had by Magnus. Once that happens, they're going to come back in this direction and there's a good risk that they could possibly find us."

"Try not to think about it, Emma. I'm coming. I've checked Google maps, I should be able to get to you in about an hour and a half. Sit tight for me, o"-

The chest of drawers buckled and collapsed, bringing Emma down with it. She screamed with surprise and rolled around so she landed on her back as she slipped onto the ground. She lost the phone signal and the call dropped out. At least Alec was coming. She heaved herself to her feet and eased onto the edge of the bed, holding her stomach protectively. Her conversation with Alec only further embellished her curiosity.

Where Magnus had seemed to have this blind determination to help Alec, Alec seemed to have a similar blind determination to help them. Why? Emma had no idea.

She could only hope Alec could get there in time.

~M~

Magnus was completely submerged in the freezing water. He tried to sleep, like he was back home in his own freezer, in an attempt to ward off the illness broiling through his being. It didn't work. He was painfully conscious of everything going on around him. The water surrounding his entire body; the chinking of his teeth as they knocked together so hard he was sure they were going to fall out anytime now; how his nails dug desperately into the cracks in the porcelain tub to keep himself grounded; how his limbs were so tightly coiled it felt like his bones were going to snap . . . He was forced to endure all of it.

He didn't know how long he had been lying there for. It felt like hours since Emma had left the room but there was no way to be sure. Time had become a subjective thing in the hours of his agony. Maybe this was how he was meant to die. Trapped in a bath at the mercy of the sunlight until a Circle member entered and put a bullet into his head that he wouldn't have the energy to pull out so the wound would heal properly. It wasn't noble or fitting in the slightest.

Magnus wasn't ready to die.

He'd been alive for hundreds upon hundreds of years, and yet, he still feared death more than anything. Magnus didn't feel prepared for the possible nothingness that could follow. There was still so much more he wanted to do; see; experience. There was still a human out there in the next room who he had a duty to protect. There was still a human out in L.A who he had sworn his life to protect as well.

He couldn't die here.

But he had no way of saving himself.

He was going to die here.

Through the thick layer of water and ice, Magnus started hearing voices. There was no real way to conclude if it was insanity brought on by hunger or if the Circle had finally found them. All Magnus knew was that he could hear voices beyond the bathroom door. Whichever scenario was truth, Magnus still couldn't find it in him to move. His body had practically turned to stone. Externally due to the temperature of the water, internally due to the poison running through his dead system.

The door to the bathroom creaked open and shut again. Magnus internally cursed. Didn't Emma understand?! She had to stay away from him!

But he didn't hear the echoed beating of the hearts Emma harboured. Instead, breaking through the barrier of water and ice and bloodlust and disease like a beacon in the dark, was the smell of citrus and sandalwood.

_Alexander._

Pale hands pushed through the water and dragged Magnus up into the stale air of the bathroom. And there he was, the sunlight that streamed in through the bathroom window shining on his face like God himself favoured him, Alexander Lightwood. Fear was written all over the younger man's face as he took in Magnus' sorry state.

"Magnus?" Alec asked, his voice desperate as he clutched Magnus' wet shirt in his hands. Those big blue eyes were glistening, sparkling with concern. "Magnus!"

Magnus drowsily swatted Alec away, wrenching his shirt out of the other man's hands as he pushed himself backwards into the tub. "Get . . . out . . . Alec . . ." Each word felt like a weight on his tongue, but he had to communicate somehow. That smell . . . The scent of Alec's blood had always been so strong due to its rare nature but now that it was so close when Magnus was so vulnerable . . .

"I know what you need," Alec said defiantly. "I'm not stupid."

Magnus tried to submerge himself again but Alec grabbed him by his shirt again and held him up. There was a fire in Alec's eyes, a reckless determination that Magnus would normally have admired if the circumstances had been different. "Let . . . me . . . go . . ." The hybrid growled. He unintentionally bared his fangs at Alec, a low hiss escaping his being.

Alec's grasp on Magnus' shirt loosened a bit and he stared at Magnus for a long moment. Magnus wondered, as he lay slack in Alec's grip, if this would be it for them. If Alec would finally see how much of an animal Magnus could turn into. How sometimes even he had his limits and when those limits were reached, he couldn't control himself or his actions.

Alec let go of Magnus' shirt completely. Magnus expected Alec to stand up and leave. To bring Emma to safety and leave him there to rot in this very tub. Any sane human being would do it. When confronted with a vampire hybrid, pale and trembling and soaking wet, baring its teeth and hissing like a snake, any human with a brain would immediately leave. Self-perseveration; fight or flight; natural selection; something would have kicked in.

It seemed that Alexander Lightwood was not sane. Alexander Lightwood did not have a brain. Alexander Lightwood had no self-perseveration; no fight or flight instinct; and would rather challenge the evolutionary aspects of natural selection as opposed to adhering to them.

Magnus didn't know why he expected any different.

Alec's hands went straight to the collar of his black shirt. Magnus didn't submerge himself again but instead watched with a curious frown as the younger man hooked the collar down with his finger, baring the deflect rune that took up the right side of his neck. The rune he was always habitually scratching.

"What're . . ." Magnus closed his eyes tight and shook his head. "What're . . . y-y-you . . . doin"-

"You need blood," Alec said. His voice was unsure but firm at the same time.

"No. No. No. No. No." Magnus shook his head, sliding down the bath in an attempt to submerge again.

Alec grabbed Magnus' wrist and they glared at one another. Magnus knew that if he drank Alec's blood, there was no way they'd ever be rid of one another. Magnus had never drunk the blood of a human without killing them but he knew the effects it could have on a vampire. Actually having part of a person flowing through his system without the sweet release that came with the killer blow would create a connection that Magnus would never be able to shake. He and Alec would be forever bonded, whether Alec wanted it that way or not.

"You . . . don't . . . understand . . ."

"I understand perfectly well," Alec growled. "There's a girl in the next room scared to death. It's our duty to get her home safely."

"Then . . . go . . . save . . . her."

Alec clenched his jaw. "I'm not leaving you behind. The Circle will come and kill you."

"Maybe . . . it's . . . time . . ."

"Stop it!" Alec snapped, silencing Magnus. "Enough with the self-pity parade. I won't let you die if there's something I could have done about it. And it just so happens there's something I can do, something I can offer. Something I have in abundance that will cure you in no time." Alec had leaned forward during his ranting and the closer he got to Magnus, the more potent the smell of his blood got. Magnus' entire being practically ached for it.

Their faces were inches apart. Magnus' teeth were mere centimetres from Alec's neck, from that rune that he'd had dreams of leaving hickies all over on so many occasions. His mouth was inching towards Alec's skin against his will, his entire body dragging towards the human man like Alec was a magnet and Magnus was a piece of metal.

Alec was shaking. Magnus could sense it even though they weren't touching. He was scared. That made sense, Magnus supposed. Alexander Lightwood may have been insane with no brains or sense of self-preservation; fight or flight; or respect for natural selection, but he was still human. And nothing defined a human more than fear.

"Please," Alec begged, his voice shaky but soft, "I'm offering it to you." He strained himself closer to Magnus, hoping it would somehow convince the hybrid to listen to his demands.

Magnus reached up with a trembling hand and placed it on top of Alec's neck. Alec flinched, the cold from the water a small shock as it touched his skin. Magnus could feel Alec's blood pumping away beneath his skin, travelling through his veins and arteries to keep that big heart of his beating. That liquid of citrus and sandalwood, the rarity of its AB negative form, the blessing of angelic qualities it had been cursed with the day Camille pressed a stele to Alec's skin . . . All of that being offered to him. Simply because he needed it.

The hybrid let his hand fall from Alec's neck. Instead, he wrapped his long, ringed fingers around Alec's wrist. Alec looked confused but didn't protest. If Magnus bit straight into Alec's jugular, he'd be dead in minutes. The wrist was much safer and wouldn't cause any long-term damage to Alec or his body. He turned Alec's wrist and held it in both of his hands, holding it like it was a holy object that needed handled with upmost care.

Their eyes met again. Magnus' wet hair fell into his eyes as he stared deeply into Alec's large blue orbs. "At some point," Magnus said carefully, "you're going to have to stop me."

Alec's breath caught in his throat and he nodded minutely.

Magnus sunk his teeth deep into Alec's wrist and immediately lost control.


	15. Angel Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Circle finds them.

Chapter Fifteen

The sound Alec made when Magnus' teeth sunk into his wrist was ungodly but Magnus was too gone to process it. He was consumed by the taste of blood, by the explosion of ecstasy that was AB negative blood. Not only that, the angelic qualities that tinged the life liquid because of Alec's runes made it all the more delicious. All the more restoring.

Magnus was instantly addicted to it.

He couldn't get enough of it fast enough. Magnus felt Alec's blood fusing with every atom of his being, replenishing his broken body; restoring his weakened self; threading together every wisp that had been cremated by the sunlight. Magnus made a satisfied noise over the broken skin of Alec's wrist as he almost desperately sucked, pulling the appendage closer to him as if it would make the blood pass into his mouth quicker.

Slowly, but surely, Magnus began to feel the chill of the cold water he sat in. It meant nothing to him as he continued to feed from Alec like he'd never fed from a human before. He felt a pressure on his back, most likely Alec draping himself across him because of fatigue. Magnus couldn't stop. Not even with the knowledge that Alec was getting exhausted. This was what he had feared. This was what he knew would happen. He wouldn't be able to stop himself even if he wanted to.

"Mag . . . nus," Alec's voice hummed against his back.

Magnus couldn't stop.

"Has . . . it . . . worked?"

Magnus couldn't stop.

"I'm . . . losing . . . I . . . can't . . . think . . ."

Fear began to set in. Magnus couldn't stop himself. It was like he was locked in position, trapped in a world of delight and pure bliss. All he could taste was blood. It was everywhere. It was all over his face; his hands; dripping into the bathwater he sat in. The room smelt of citrus and sandalwood, the scent urging Magnus to be greedy; to take more; to keep drinking until all that rare, delicious blood was gone.

This was what Alexander Lightwood did to him. Whenever he was around, Magnus found it hard to control his urges, and when he was given an inch, his basic instinct took a mile instead. Except this wasn't like seeing Alec more than he was supposed to or constantly getting dragged into crisis' with him, no this was so much more dangerous. For this could lead to Alec's death. And Magnus would never be able to live with himself if he killed Alec.

And that thought, that thought alone, was what made Magnus rip his mouth free of Alec's wrist. Blood flew everywhere as Alec cried out again in pain. Magnus hadn't processed what had happened as he fed and could only take in the position they were both now in. He was lying with his back against the bath tub and Alec was lying against the extension of his body, the poor man having gotten dragged into the cold water because of Magnus' lack of self-control. Magnus immediately pressed his thumb against the holes in Alec's wrist, trying to staunch the blood flow.

"Alec?" he asked tentatively.

A pause that dragged on forever.

"Mmf?"

Magnus released a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. "Alec, my love, are you alright?"

"Mghf dugh duh," was the response he got. Alec lifted his head from where it had been lying on Magnus' shoulder, his blue eyes drowsy but his lips quirked up in a tired smile. "You got whats yousgh needsfd?"

Magnus nodded, unable to help how his heart swelled. Despite being bitten; fed from; and dragged into cold water, Alec's main concern was that he had done enough for Magnus. The old hybrid had never experienced such concern from another in so long, if ever. Not even Camille put her husband before herself. Magnus didn't know what to do with such worry. He had constantly worried about Alec ever since they crossed paths again, but never had he really took the time to consider that maybe Alec was beginning to care and worry about him as well.

Alec grinned, his eyes fluttering with delusion, and he let his head softly thump onto Magnus' chest again, the water splashing around them because of it.

Magnus clutched Alec against his body and jumped out of the bathtub. The hybrid was so energised from his feeding that he nearly hit the ceiling due to the power of the jump. Water overflowed and splashed onto the floor but he paid no heed to it. Magnus sat Alec up against the exterior of the bath and tore a strip of fabric off his own shirt.

"Try to stay conscious, Alec," Magnus advised. He crouched in front of the human man and mopped the blood up off Alec's wrist around where his thumb was pressed.

"The room is spinning," Alec commented, wide blue eyes searching the room as if expecting to find a hidden clue somewhere. He closed them, like it was going to ward off the room's sudden lack of stasis.

"That's just the blood loss, I'm bandaging you now so you shouldn't lose much more," Magnus explained. He magicked up some bandages and tightly bound the bite marks.

There was a crash in the other room, followed by a scream.

Emma.

"Alec, stay here. I'm coming back."

Alec nodded slowly, lifting his hand tiredly and giving the hybrid a thumbs up.

Magnus made sure Alec's bandage was secure before standing up. Two new blood types hit his nostrils as he quickly cleaned Alec's blood from his face and hands with his magic. A negative filled his senses and Magnus nearly threw up on the spot. His fresh, vitalised system consumed the disgusting scent in painful clarity and it almost made the hybrid retch. He should have smelt it coming sooner but the moment Alec's blood had seeped from his skin into Magnus' mouth, all he had been able to smell was citrus and sandalwood.

The Circle had found them.

Magnus barged through the bathroom door quick as lightening. Emma was pressed into the corner of the room while A negative and his mate Samantha were climbing over the debris of what had been the front door to the cabin.

"Magnus!" Emma exclaimed.

Magnus had to physically force himself not to shift. He couldn't expose himself, that was the last thing he needed to deal with. What he could do, however, was take care of these two goons with his natural assets. Samantha was the first to act. She launched herself at Magnus, wielding a gun as her only form of defence. "You sent us on a wild goose chase you painted freak!" she roared.

When you're so fast, everyone else moves in slow motion. Magnus could stop Samantha's attack before it had properly started. He grabbed her gun and wretched it from her grasp, using the butt to whack her in the forehead. She reeled backwards into the wall and tried to save herself by kicking against it with her leg so she'd fly back at Magnus, however the hybrid predicted this and planted his fist into her face.

Samantha smacked the floor with a scream and Magnus slammed his foot onto her throat to keep her down as he spun to point the gun at A negative. The man had been crossing the room to reach Emma but hadn't gotten there fast enough.

"Move and I'll shoot," Magnus growled.

A negative didn't look convinced. "You won't shoot me, faggot."

"Oh? Want to try me?"

A negative rolled his eyes, not convinced. He moved to grab Emma and Magnus immediately fired bullets into his shins. The goon fell to the floor with a scream of agony and Emma ran from him, standing slightly behind Magnus for protection.

"Clearly you shouldn't underestimate a faggot with a gun," Magnus commented. He looked down at Samantha before checking his fingernails. "Well, damn, I've chipped my nail polish." Samantha sneered at him but Magnus simply grinned at her. "I'm going to have to reapply it later."

With the help of Emma, Magnus bound both A negative and Samantha to the headboard of the bed. Alec then came into the room, clearly still disorientated but most definitely improving, and they explained to him what the ruckus had been about. The bitten man was only half interested, due to his immense exhaustion, and Magnus deemed him well enough to take a nap. He'd stopped bleeding and his heart was beating as strong as ever. If there had been any irregularities, Magnus would have sensed it.

Magnus ripped the sheets from beneath A negative and Samantha, having blotted out the colourful names they were calling him long ago, and set a bed up for Alec at the bottom of the room.

"I can sleep on the floor, there's really no need," Alec said.

"This is no trouble Alexander, especially after all you've done for me," Magnus insisted. He plumped the pillows a bit (rather awkwardly as he was used to using his magic for such mundane tasks) before gesturing extravagantly to the bed he'd created. "Sleep well."

Alec couldn't help smiling, scratching his deflect rune again. "Thanks."

As Alec settled, Magnus spun on his heel, directing his attention to A negative. "Now! I'm going to be nice and treat your wounds. I'll only be gentle if you promise to shut up, though."

"Fuck off, pansy," A negative snapped.

"Looks like we're going for the hard way, eh?" Magnus sighed.

Emma, who was sitting on a chair by a dirty dressing table, shook her head. "Morons."

Magnus swept into the bathroom and cleaned away the mess he and Alec had made with a swipe of the hand. He then quickly conjured some medical equipment out of thin air. Moments later, Emma appeared in the doorway. "Magnus?" she asked.

"Yes?" Magnus replied, pretending to pull the equipment out of the dingy cupboard below the sink.

"Are you better?"

Magnus straightened. He hadn't really thought until now how scared he had probably made Emma. He turned to face the young girl and smiled. "Yes, I'm much better."

Emma didn't look convinced. "Are you sure? You were really sick . . ."

Magnus couldn't imagine what his state had looked like from a third party perspective. He was sure that it looked pretty nasty, though. Emma had been very brave and he wished he could tell her such, but it wouldn't make much sense since she didn't know what he was or what had been happening to him.

"I'm completely better," Magnus assured her.

Emma moved from the doorway into the room. "What did Alec do? You got better when he went to you."

Magnus sighed. "Alec does a lot."

"Oh?"

"Yes."

"In what way?"

Magnus smiled and weaved around Emma to go to treat A negative's wounds. "Nothing you have to worry about."

Emma followed him, persistent. "But it makes no sense!"

"Someday your curiosity will kill you, Emma." Magnus sat on the bed by A negative and gave him a warning look not to try anything. As he started treating the wounds, he added, "Curiosity killed the cat."

"Satisfaction brought it back," Emma immediately answered with.

Magnus shook his head but the smile just wouldn't leave his face. Emma reminded him of himself in some ways, always sticking her nose into situations where it didn't belong and not really feeling an inch of remorse for it. If he hadn't had his natural curiosity then he wouldn't have done half of things he had done over the course of his long life.

"Who exactly are you, really?" asked Emma.

Magnus frowned. He wasn't completely sure how to answer that. After living for hundreds of years, he still didn't know how to describe who he was or what he was doing with his life. He was a lover; a fighter; a Lothario; a bystander; a stranger . . .

_"There was an incident when I was younger where I needed saved. My sister Isabelle claims that the angel Raziel must have done that saving, because our parents would never tell us the full truth about what happened . . ."_

An angel?

"I'm no one," Magnus settled with. "By the time I'm finished here, I'll have never been here. Nor will you or Alec have been."

Emma eyed Magnus suspiciously. She didn't say anything else, which Magnus was partially relieved about. She simply watched him work on A negative's shins. Thankfully, he too had decided to shut up and the only voice that was heard was Samantha chiming in with the odd homophobic comment.

Magnus' plan was simple. Sort out A negative so he didn't bleed out and die, and then take off in Alec's car. Once they were a good distance from the cabin they'd call the police about the whereabouts of two circle members and leave it to them. Magnus hoped Emma would decide to come back with them instead of choosing to continue to Las Vegas to find Julian. Her testimony could change a lot about the Los Angeles crime scene. If only she too could recognise that.

He was bandaging A negative's wounds after cleaning it and removing the bullets, when the silence (Samantha had given up long ago) was interrupted by screaming.

Magnus dropped the bandage like a hot potato and spun around to the source.

Alec had been sleeping peacefully for a good while up until this point, but that had changed so fast it made Magnus' head reel. Alec must have turned in his sleep so he was lying on his stomach at some point, because now he was screaming into the floor, his hands clutching the carpet like his life depended on it.

"Alec!" Emma exclaimed in horror. She looked at Magnus in a panic. "What's wrong with him?!"

Magnus had completely forgotten about what Alec had said about how badly he slept due to his PTSD. Hearing about it had been bad enough but seeing it happening before his eyes was nothing short of abhorrent.

The vampire hybrid crossed the room in two strides. "Alexander!" he shouted, grabbing Alec by the shoulders and giving him a shake. "Alexander, wake up! It's a dream, wake up!"

"Stop, Camille, no more!" the human man wailed in his sleep. "Please, I can't bear it!"

Hearing her name felt like a punch to the gut and Magnus' arms went limp for a moment, staring at the thrashing man with horror. He shook himself off and gave Alec another shake. "Alexander, wake up, come on, please!"

Alec's eyes snapped open so fast Emma jumped with surprise. He screamed, clearly still disorientated, and whacked Magnus clean against the face in shock. It barely left a mark due to Magnus' hardened skin but it was so much of a shock he released Alec from his clutches. Alec pressed himself against the wall, taking in his surroundings and slowly adjusting to having woken up.

A long silence followed. Magnus stared at Alec and Alec stared at Magnus. There was no conversation between their gazes, simply emotion. One fear, one horror. Alec panted to get his breath back, his fear having been so potent that it had stolen his breath away. Magnus felt like he'd been frozen in place. Hearing Alec shout his ex-wife's name, with such fear and agony in his tone, made all of this way too real.

The silence was broken by one question. A question asked by Emma.

"Who's Camille?"

"What?" Alec quickly asked, his gaze shooting to her as if just remembering she was there. "Who?"

Magnus immediately saw that Alec did not recognise the name. It was like how a person can talk the ear off someone when they're asleep but when they wake they have no recollection whatsoever of what they said or how it related to what they dreamt. It made sense. Alec had been kidnapped when he was still practically a baby. Only coming out of his toddler years. There was no way he could actively remember Camille. His subconscious, though? Of course it could. And when one's mind was laid to rest, the subconscious comes out to play in one's dreams.

"I hit you," Alec stated. As if suddenly being slammed into reality, Alec jumped forward and examined Magnus' face. "Oh my god, I hit you!"

"It's fine, really," Magnus started to say, but Alec was already examining where he'd slapped him, making sure that there had been no damage. Their faces were so close, the smell of Alec's blood invaded Magnus' senses again. The hybrid shivered as he remembered that this man's blood currently warmed his own system.

"I'm so sorry, I don't know how to control myself I never even thought when I went to sleep that this would happen I didn't mean to I'm so, so sorry," Alec babbled. He'd started scratching at his runes, not just the one on his neck but the ones all over his body. Like he had a niggling itch that he couldn't pin down.

"Hey, stop that." Magnus took Alec's hands in his own to stop him from hurting himself, pining Alec down with an authorative gaze. The last thing he needed was for Alec to work himself up again. "Try to calm down, you're okay. What just happened was completely out of your control."

"I'm so sorry," Alec pressed, his fingers twitching in Magnus' grip.

"There's nothing to be sorry for," Magnus pressed back.

Words could not describe how broken hearted Magnus felt. Alec wasn't experiencing nightmares brought on by allusions of the mind. Alec was reliving what Camille did to him every time he fell asleep. Just deep enough below conscious thought that he never remembered the details when he woke up. All that remained was the fear and the agonising burn that plagued the runes on his skin.

All because of Camille.

All because Magnus wasn't able to realise what she had been planning sooner.

"Can we leave now?" asked Emma. There was a slight tremble to her voice. Honestly, Magnus didn't blame her for being afraid. This had been one terrifying day.

Magnus stood up, not releasing Alec's hands just yet because his fingers were still twitching which meant the urge to itch his runes was still there. Alec stood up with him, seeming keen to leave this shit hole as well.

A final silence fell as they left the Circle goons in the cabin and walked the short distance across the sand to Alec's car. The sun bounded off of Magnus once more, the new-found energy he'd developed from Alec's blood creating an armour of steel around him. Emma insisted he hold his jacket over his head, though, which was fair enough considering what she had witnessed because of, as far as she was aware, an allergic reaction to the sun.

They drove in the quiet, each one battling their own internal demons, only breaking it when Magnus called the police and told them where to find A negative and Samantha.

The only thing Magnus wanted to say was the one thing he couldn't.

He wanted to tell Alec he was sorry.


	16. Separation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Alec haven't been in contact since the incident in the Mojave. A new case might bring them back together, though.

Chapter Sixteen

Alec leaned against the cold metal railings of the platform overlooking the photo shoot. This was the kind of territory that came with being a reporter for an independent company. One day you could be reporting the success of a testimony against Circle members, the next you could be reporting a photo shoot for Vogue taking place in LA. He wasn't much of an entertainment reporter, really, but the entertainment reporter for the Clave had taken ill and he was filling in. It was strange how his life could go from extravagant to mundane in such a short period of time.

It had been a week since Alec had last seen Magnus. He didn't feel like it was his place to make the first move, especially after what had happened in the cabin in the Mojave. Alec didn't know how vampire politics worked, nor was he completely well versed on what their policies of drinking from humans were, but he didn't want to unintentionally get Magnus into trouble by approaching him when he shouldn't. So, Alec was leaving it to the hybrid to decide when they could talk again.

A part of Alec worried that he had made it awkward. Magnus had clearly resisted to drinking his blood but what other option had there been? It was do or die. Maybe that was just it. Maybe the fact that the situation had been do or die meant that the bond they had forged over the weeks had to be sacrificed in the process. Was it even right calling it a bond? Alec was tempted to call it 'friendship' but the word was too weak. Relationship was too much, as that made it sound like he was having an affair behind Sebastian's back but . . . what other word was there to describe what his relation to Magnus even was?

The music from the shoot was so loud it practically vibrated through Alec's bones, some generic techno tune being blared from gigantic speakers at every corner. Alec rubbed a hand over his face tiredly, trailing back to his hair to brush it out of his eyes. There was a tightness in his head he couldn't shift and he was sure a migraine was on its way.

"Out of any story you could have asked for my help with, this is what you go with?" Jace complained, resting his chin on the railing and moping as the music lowered to a dull thump. The model was getting changed, so Alec was finally blessed with the ability to hear himself think.

"I'm sorry, my usual camera guy wasn't available today," Alec answered. "Besides, you wouldn't be allowed onto a serious story, if that's what you're thinking."

"Don't trust me?" Jace teased.

"I do, Clary doesn't," Alec responded. "Your girlfriend is the one who writes my cheques, remember, so I must appease her."

Jace huffed petulantly. He glanced at Alec out of the corner of his eye and said, "You look like shit."

"Thanks for noticing."

"Been sleeping rough?"

Alec scratched the rune on the side of his neck. "I need to get more sleeping pills, I just haven't gotten around to it," he explained. He sighed wearily. "It's been quite bad recently."

Alec could feel Jace's golden eyes searing the side of his head. "Do you need to talk about it?"

Jace, just like Isabelle, had always been extremely sympathetic when it came to Alec's condition. Alec had never tried to burden them with the effects it had on him but, especially when he was a child, it was hard to hide. Jace had even went as far as to get an exact replica of one of the runes Alec had tattooed onto his arm, so that Alec didn't feel alone in having them. He intended to get more of them done when he'd gathered enough money, too. Alec tried to tell him he didn't have to but . . . it was like talking to a brick wall.

"No, I'm fine," answered Alec.

In truth, he didn't know why his sleeping patterns were getting worse. They weren't extremely great to begin with but as of late he seemed to be struggling more than usual. He didn't know what to make of it, nor did Sebastian, who was getting woken up more and more often each and every night. All Alec knew was that his nightmares were getting more vivid; more terrifying; and more real. Almost like the danger was seeping from his nightmares into his reality . . .

Jace didn't press the issue. Instead, he gestured to the model who was getting ready to pose again. "She's pretty hot," he commented.

Alec looked at the blond with exasperation. "Really, Jace?" he said flatly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you weren't on my team," Jace sarcastically responded. He gestured to the man behind the camera. "What about him, then?"

Alec rolled his eyes. "Surprisingly enough, I don't fancy every man who crosses my path."

"Can't say the same for myself," Jace joked. Alec frowned at him. "For women! I mean for women!"

"What about Clary?"

"What about her? She's my girlfriend. She's beautiful. That doesn't mean I don't notice when other people are attractive," Jace shrugged. "That doesn't mean I want to come home to them every night, like I do with Clary."

It was almost scary seeing Jace be faithful in a relationship. It was certainly a first.

"How's Sebby anyway?"

Alec looked down at the photoshoot. "Okay. He's taking time off after the success of the Circle case. He's taking some well-earned rest."

"Staying in your apartment, I hope. He's most likely got a target on his back now," said Jace. "You don't know who could be watching"-

Alec closed his eyes tight. "Don't, Jace. I don't want to think about that."

Alec knew full well that for the time being, Sebastian was going to have to look over his shoulder where-ever he went. The Circle could be fickle about these kinds of things, they just had to stick it out until something else captured their attention that they deemed worthier of their rage. Alec didn't want to contemplate the alternative. Sebastian's job had its dangers but this . . . this was too much to think about right now.

Jace glanced down at the shoot. "Is she choking?"

Alec opened his eyes and saw that the model had collapsed onto the floor. Her body was jerking against the shag rug, the whites of her eyes filling her sockets. "She's having a seizure!" Alec exclaimed as medics rushed onto the set just as she went completely still. Silence filled the set like a disease. The only thing Alec could hear was Jace's measured breathing beside him. One of the medics touched the model's neck and shook their heads. "By the angel, she just died. . ."

That happened way too fast. It sent a chill through Alec's body and he stepped back from the railing, casting his eyes to the floor.

Jace chuckled, but the sound was humourless and empty. "And here I thought it was going to be a boring fashion shoot."

~M~

Magnus watched the news with an almost unsettling sense of pleasure. Emma's testimony was detrimental to the case of the Circle's innocence regarding the murder of her father. Of course, only those directly involved were going to be punished for the crime and a large portion of the Circle were still at large but this was a small victory. One that Magnus would gladly take, especially since it meant justice for Emma. Watching the men who had been on trial being led away in handcuffs was extremely pleasing and as if Magnus was being extra rewarded, immediately after a report was being aired about two more suspected members of the Circle being found in a cabin in the Mojave Desert.

There was no need to worry about Emma being chased by the Circle anymore. Not only did her decision to return to LA mean that she was able to be put back under police protection, but once Circle members are convicted, their ties with the gang are usually severed. The Circle cover their tracks well and if someone gets themselves tangled with the law, it's their problem, not the gang's. They had done what they could to prevent those involved from being convicted in their attempts to murder Emma like her father but since those attempts failed, they were on their own. The Circle would focus their rage on the law enforcement for a while, maybe, but in the grand scheme of things this was a minor blip. A minor blip they'd eventually overlook. Nobody was irreplaceable.

It most definitely put the vampire hybrid in a good mood. There was an extra spring to his step for the remainder of the day. Even Chairman Meow noticed his owner's change in tune but it was hard to tell whether the feline welcomed it or not. Magnus felt elated. Someone could walk up to his door right this minute and ask for him to complete another wild task and he'd probably be straight out the door. He'd forgotten how much he'd enjoyed being sent on missions as opposed to using his PI title to investigate what interested him. Sure, being beaten into the dust by the sun had been beyond dreadful but that high that he'd experienced from the cure . . . Magnus was still living off that a week later.

Maybe it was the fact that the blood had been rare, or maybe it was the angel properties due to the runes, or maybe desire played a larger part in feeding than Magnus had thought, but somehow Alexander Lightwood's blood had nourished him for seven days. Magnus had only felt the need to feed again that morning as he watched the news report the results of Emma's day in court. Even with the hospital mandated blood running through his veins, Magnus could still feel beads of heat pumping through his system, like tiny balls of fire dragging along his insides. Tiny pieces of Alec that were still feeding his body. It was an amazing sensation, one that Magnus almost hoped never left him but at the same time knew would have to if he were ever going to be able to see Alec again.

It was later that evening that he was treated to a surprise visit from Ragnor. Despite being able to portal, the old hybrid still came to the front door instead, knocking the same knock and having the same reproachful expression once answered. Magnus wondered if the latter was because he'd been purposefully ignoring Ragnor's calls for the past week.

"What are you so jazzed about?" the green skinned man asked as he entered Magnus' apartment.

"It's great to see you too, Ragnor," Magnus replied, picking up the Chairman and holding him in his arms.

He couldn't tell Ragnor that he'd went on a mission against the Circle and nearly got himself killed by the sun. Not because Ragnor would disapprove-well, he would, but that was beside the point-but because he'd most certainly get treated to a lecture about sun safety. Magnus wasn't going to let a silly lecture from his paranoid friend ruin his good mood. Especially since he'd already endured the lecture upteen times.

"What brings you to my humble abode?"

Ragnor dragged a hand through his hair. "Where have you been these past few days?"

Magnus raised an eyebrow. "Why does it matter?"

"Magnus, vampires are disappearing across the city and turning up dead," Ragnor deadpanned. "I've been trying to get a hold of you for the past week."

Magnus released the Chairman and folded his arms. "What do you mean turning up dead?" he asked seriously.

"As in dead, Magnus. Dead. Gone. No longer alive."

"Technically we're all no longer alive," said Magnus, although his heart wasn't really in the jab at all.

Vampires were turning up dead? How was that possible? Sure, vampires had their weaknesses and sometimes the odd vampire would turn up dead, but never in large numbers. But vampires didn't just die, they had to be killed. Was it possible that a group of humans had gotten wind of their existence and could distinguish the difference between myth and truth like Malachi had done?

Ragnor's gaze was grave. "I'm not joking around, Magnus."

Magnus crossed his apartment and rummaged in his fridge for a packet of blood. He always ate when he felt stressed. He tried not to cringe on how nothing tasted as good anymore, like Alec's blood had somehow tainted and dulled the taste of any and every other type. "How do you know there isn't some new suicide club or something? It's happened before, why not again?"

"The bodies are recovered bound and charred," Ragnor explained, following Magnus and standing on the opposite side of the islet. "And completely drained of blood."

Magnus choked. "Completely drained?" he repeated dubiously.

Ragnor nodded slowly. "Not a single drop left."

"Definitely not a suicide club, then," Magnus concluded. "Unless they're doing it to each other but that doesn't explain the blood draining . . ."

"Or the need to be bound at all," Ragnor added.

Ragnor worried about a lot of things, hence why Magnus gave him nicknames such as worry wally and awkward green bean, but every so often his worry was warranted. Why was it that the one time Magnus decides to ignore his calls for a week something like this happens? He had had a desire for a new mission due to his newfound energy but this definitely wasn't the calibre of mission he had been expecting to come across. Another human mystery? Sure. Fantastic. But vampire murders? No, he hadn't been expecting this at all . . .

"I better go speak to Catarina, then," Magnus mused. "She's bound to be covering this stuff up at the hospital to avoid human curiosity."

"I was thinking the exact same thing," Ragnor answered.

Magnus raised his eyebrows. "To go speak to Catarina?"

"No, for you to go speak to Catarina."

Magnus rolled his eyes. "Right. Obviously." He picked up his coat and walked around the islet. When he passed Ragnor, his friend's arm suddenly shot out and grabbed his own. "What?"

The expression on Ragnor's face was hard to decipher. "You smell of fresh blood."

"Ragnor, I get you're older than me but you literally just watched me drink some from the fridge. Is your memory really getting that ba"-

"Living blood," Ragnor interrupted. He met Magnus' feline gaze with beady black eyes, suspicion in the stare. "Have you employed a fleshie?"

Magnus snorted at the idea. "No."

"So, you've killed someone?"

"Really, Ragnor, I thought you knew me well enough to know that I wouldn't"-

"Is that angel properties I smell?" Ragnor exclaimed. His green fingers dug into Magnus' arm so hard it nearly broke skin. "Magnus, where the hell have you been?"

"Nowhere," Magnus prised Ragnor's hand off of him and stepped back.

Ragnor wasn't appeased by Magnus' blasé attitude. He squinted curiously. "The only human I can think of who has angel properties to their blood is the child that Cam"-

"I really must dash, Ragnor!" Magnus quickly interrupted, practically sprinting to his door to avoid the direction the conversation was heading in. "We don't know when Catarina's shift ends after all and we can't afford to miss her!"

Ragnor was left standing alone in Magnus' apartment, Chairman Meow purring at his heels and rubbing against his legs. "-mille stole," he finished, despite there being no one to hear him apart from Magnus' needy pet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi guys! I'm sorry this took so long to come out! I've been working on some original projects recently and haven't had a lot of time to work on my fanfiction. Please forgive my sporadic updating! I love you all and thanks for reading! :D


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